In Between Days
by Furor Scribendi
Summary: When warrior android V1046R-Mahoro was decommissioned, she was given 398 operational days. About 70 of those days are accounted for, but what about the rest of that time, the other days of her life as a maid? NOTE: Author's comments follow ever chapter.
1. Chapter 1, A New Life

"A New Life"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

June 17th

Mahoro stood in the cavernous Main Assembly Hall in Vesper Headquarters. This was a meeting of the Full Council and everyone was there. Don Vesper was talking about giving her a chance at a life away from Vesper. She was at attention, hanging on every word he spoke.

"I have received a report explaining that if your armaments are removed, you will continue to function for another 398 days. Mahoro, you have done more for Vesper than we could have imagined. We would like to give you the opportunity to choose how you would like to spend your remaining days."

Mahoro was at a loss, as she did not really expect this to be happening. It was something she had given little thought about, as most, if not all, of her attention was focused on stopping the forces of Saint on the battlefield. With the conflict at a standstill, and no real indication of it resuming any time soon, she was uncertain as to what to do with herself and the rest of her days.

"Uh…ah? Um…?! Eh…?! Err…..?" She fumbled about. The greatest android in Vesper and she was at a loss as to make a decision where the remainder of her operational life should go.

"Now then, Mahoro, what do you wish to do?"

It then became crystal clear to her. "My wish…..my wish is…to give back. Give back something to those who need it most."

The board stared at her for a moment, a bit perplexed at her statement. She continued. "It has been nearly four years since…since that horrible day. Commander Misato gave much to Vesper, eventually giving all for this cause.

"He left behind a son. I wish to repay the debt I own Commander Misato by taking care of that son as his maid. I feel a life in domestic servitude can be just as exciting as being an interstellar warrior. I request a transfer."

A murmur of consent could be heard throughout the room. Don Vesper spoke. "Commander Daimon…"

Daimon stood up. "Yes, sir."

"Can we accommodate her wishes?"

"Yes, that can be done. She can easily be transferred over to the Vesper Housekeeping Services division for the week of training she will need to become a fully accredited maid. The necessary paperwork can be run through in a couple of hours. "

"Professor Hokaze?"

He stood up. "Yes, sir?"

"How long would it take to remove everything from her?"

He thought for a moment. "No longer than half a day, even with diagnostic tests that need to be run…provided I could start as soon as possible."

"Ms. Shiina?"

She stood up. The only woman on the board, she was more than a mere secretary, but the go-to person to get things done and done properly. "Yes, sir?"

"Can we enroll Mahoro in the next class?"

"Yes. I would need to check when they start, but, if we are lucky, she could conceivable start classes tomorrow."

"Everyone…" barked Don Vesper. They all came to attention, saluting. "This is Priority One. I want to make certain that we can get Mahoro moving as fast as she can in her new life. Today, nothing else is as important. Is this understood?"

They all responded in unison. "Yes, sir!"

"Then let's get to it." Everyone filed out in orderly, but rapid, fashion. Hokaze went right up to Mahoro. "So, I will be taking you down to the laboratory for some…" Hokaze stopped for a moment, rubbed his hands maniacally, hunched his shoulder to his ears and cackled, "…experiments! Hahahahahaha!" Hokaze then realized that Mahoro was not laughing. Couldn't we have given her a sense of humor, he thought.

Clearing his throat, he stood upright and took her by the hand. "Come with me, please," and they headed out of the hall and towards an elevator. He pushed the button and it opened. Getting in, he took out a key and placed it in a special slot on the button panel. Once turned, he could access P2 and they took the ride down to his laboratory.

Mahoro stood in silence, a bit uncertain as to what would be done to her.

When they got to the level, the doors opened out onto a rather capacious room. She had been here before, undergoing numerous diagnostic examinations. She immediately went over to the Imaging Panel. Once there, she began to disrobe.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" called out Hokaze. "You will need this on!" and he frantically handed her a medical gown. Then he turned his back to offer her some privacy. As she changed out, Hokaze thought. This is odd. She is an android. She has no real concept about modesty or nudity, yet, I afford her privacy to change out. I guess I never really thought of her as anything else than a real person.

"I am ready, Professor Hokaze," Mahoro called out. He turned to see her standing in the panel. He turned it on and examined her basic structure, making notes to himself. "What is going to happen with me?" she asked. Hokaze was scribbling notes to himself as he poured over the data.

"Certain aspects of you are going to be removed. Keeping you functioning at this level takes a great deal of energy. If we take off or shut down those parts that are no longer required, the energy need drops and you can operate longer.

"These will include your body armor and most of your weaponry. If we could remove it all, you could conceivably last forever, but one part cannot be disconnected, as it a key element. It is so ingrained into your basic structure, it must remain."

Mahoro nodded as the testing was completed. "As always," commented Hokaze, "everything is where it should be." He hooked up a series of probes to her. "I am getting a base line of your activity so I can have a master record, as it were, so we can see how things operate on you. This will take a few minutes. I need this record, as you will be monitored as to how things are coming along. You would have to come by every month or so, just so we can keep apace of things."

The machinery hummed and whirred and Hokaze got a full indication of Mahoro and her operating systems. "OK, now it is on to the next phase," he commented. He disconnected the probes and helped her from the panel, then took her over to a table. "Please lay down," he asked, getting a variety of devices and wheeling them over in their carts.

Where her heart would be, he placed a monitoring device. A TV came to life. "Look over to that screen," he said, pointing to a TV to her left. It showed a line of bars that filled up the uppermost part of the screen, and then the start of another line beneath it.

"As components are removed, you should see an increase in the amount of bars. I hope to see another 12 or 13 lines on that screen."

"What is going to happen to me?" asked Mahoro.

The doctor held up a long-needled probe and attached it to a mechanical arm. "We are going to disconnect those areas in your basic structure. The goal is to leave you with about 30 of your capabilities. Like I said, if we could remove Shining Darkness, we could really extend you, but that cannot be done, so this is the compromise. Now, look to the monitor."

The doctor sat down at a keyboard and began to direct the mechanical arm. He programmed in the procedure and let the probe do its job. "This is going to deactivate the body armor." Hokaze followed every step, slowly and methodically.

Mahoro felt something and her head made a little snap. She looked over to the monitor and saw it now had four full lines of bars. She kept her eyes on the screen and the probe continued to work. She felt odd. "I feel something strange happening to me," she said.

Hokaze still poured over the screen. "As well you should. Every time a system is shut off, there will be an increase in energy. It may feel like a warm sensation or even a bit of a jolt, as more power becomes available.

"Now, you will still be able to enter Warrior Mode, but this should be done sparingly, as it will dramatically cut into your reserves. You can't really use Shining Darkness, but I will discuss this a bit later." Hokaze fiddled with some knobs and made more notes.

Mahoro watched as the screen filled with power bar indicators. 10 lines, 11 lines, 12 lines. She felt elation as more and more bars completed more and more lines. Hokaze was making sure everything went smoothly. It was a slow process, but there were no problems.

"OK, that appears to be the last of it, but I have to run a few more tests," said Hokaze.

Mahoro looked over to the screen, not quite 13 full lines. She felt a bit disappointed, as she wanted more. Hokaze commented.

"Hmm. Hmm. Missed a couple of things," he said and the probe was sent back in. A few more bars were added to her total and it was brought over 13 full lines. Hokaze went to Mahoro. "Here is where it gets slow, as I have to check and recheck and recheck the rechecks. I want to make certain that I didn't miss anything, so please bear with me."

Hokaze began to scamper about the lab, going from one machine to another, checking totals here and total there, fiddling with knobs and tapping in on endless keyboards. Mahoro was surprised at the amount of energy that Professor Hokaze still had, especially with all the running about he was doing.

Finally, he slowed down and settled in on one terminal. He tapped in a few more things, and then pushed away from the monitor. He stood up and went over to Mahoro, freeing her from all the devices. "Now, this is important: how do you feel. I want you to think before you answer."

Mahoro held for a moment and thought about the events. "I feel more energetic." Hokaze nodded. She looked over to the screen to see it nearly filled with energy bars.

"I am going to help you up, as I do not know if you may fall over," said Hokaze. She was helped to a sitting position, and then slowly allowed to stand. Hokaze held for a moment, just to see what would happen and prepared to catch her, should she tumble.

"So far, so good," he mumbled, bringing her over to the Imaging Panel. "One last time, please?" She stepped in and it was turned on. Hokaze looked at his notes from the previous test and examined the printout for this one. "OK, it's perfect! Everything is right where it belongs. Mahoro, go ahead and get dressed."

Hokaze finished up some paperwork as Mahoro got back into her clothes. With the exception of a slight hot flush sensation, she really didn't feel any different.

The doctor got up and went to her. "Please come with me, as I need to explain a few points." They went over to a table where the doctor got very serious and sober. "In 38 days, you will reach the point of no return. That means from…" he looked at a calendar. "…July 24th on, you cannot use Shining Darkness, except as a very, very, VERY last resort."

Mahoro was sufficiently concerned. "What will happen if I do?"

"It ends; it's over. Shining Darkness consumes huge amounts of energy. If you use it, it will destroy your enemy, but you are destroyed in the process. That is why it must be employed when there is no other option, when civilian lives are at stake." Hokaze held for a moment, closing his eyes. Mahoro thought for a moment she saw tears forming, but he changed his demeanor quickly.

"If you ever find yourself in a situation like that, I want you to contact Vesper HQ. I mean, we can discuss some of these ramifications later, but you need to know this: you are 30 of what you once were. You have to think and not merely react. I do not wish to scare or alarm you, but I want you fully informed."

Mahoro nodded. "I understand."

Hokaze brightened up immediately. "Good. Well, you are all done here, so it is time to take you back up." They both rose and went to the elevator. As they awaited the arrival of the car, Hokaze's cell phone rang. "Hokaze here. Yes, Don!" He immediately snapped to attention. Mahoro knew he was talking to Don Vesper. "We just finished up everything and we were coming back up and…" Hokaze made a face as he listened.

The elevator arrived and Mahoro held it open. Hokaze continued to listen, but did not get on the elevator. "I understand, one moment." He held the phone away and partially stepped in to the elevator. He pushed the button to the third floor, and then stepped back out. Mahoro was perplexed.

Hokaze held up a finger and pointed to the phone. "Don needs to talk to me, so you go up to the third floor where Sub-Commander Gunji will meet you. I will follow in a few minutes." Mahoro let go of the door, but just before it closed, she heard Hokaze say "Special project?"

When the doors opened on her floor, both Shiina and Gunji were there. "We have some good news and some better news," Gunji said, as Shiina led her to a table. "First, you need to sign these forms." A veritable hillock of paper was before her.

"What are these?" asked Mahoro.

"The paperwork part of your new life," said Shiina. "This first one is requesting permission to be transferred to the Vesper Housekeeping Services. The second is releasing all pertinent data to VHS for them to examine. The third is an agreement you have with VHS to abide by their rules and to attend class everyday. Now, we have already gotten all the necessary counter-signatures. All you need do is sign off."

Mahoro was given a pen and she signed off on the documents. "When she finished the paperwork, Shiina shook her hand. "Congratulations! You are now officially enrolled in the Vesper Housekeeping Services School. The better news is that there was a cancellation, so you can start class tomorrow! Now, it is a five-day class, so we have contacted the teacher you give you a special Saturday make-up lesson to complete their requirements for graduation."

"Who will be teaching this session?" asked Gunji.

"That would be Haru Totoke," replied Shiina.

Gunji looked about for a moment, and then gazed on at Mahoro. "She is the toughest teacher there. If you can impress her, Mahoro, that would be a major feat." Shiina pushed over some more paperwork.

"This is the materials for the class. Familiarize yourself with them. Class starts promptly at 8:30. There is the morning session and the afternoon session with a 45-minute lunch break. They meet on the fourth floor of this building."

Just then, a short, balding man came into the room, holding a pile of paperwork. "I understand that I am to fit someone for a maid uniform?"

"Excellent timing, sir. Mahoro, this is one of our best tailors, 'Needles' Ikaruga. We are going to give you the best maid uniform ever." Ikaruga pulled out a tape measure and approached Mahoro.

"I need to take some basic measurements. I also have brought along a couple of catalogs so you can decided which one looks best for you." Dropping a pad on the table, he quickly measured Mahoro all over: her height, her shoulder span, her arm length, her bust, her waist, her hips, her neck and her head circumference, scribbling down his results.

"Now, I can get most of this knocked out in three days, but I would need you to make a decision as to which style you would prefer." He placed the catalogs in her hands. "I am going to assume you want something basic, but I can accommodate if you want a kind of hybrid." He pulled out a business card. "Call me when you have decided and we can get it done for you." With that, he left.

Mahoro looked at Gunji and Shiina. "I…I don't know what to say."

Gunji spoke first. "At this point, we only want you to concentrate on your classes. Let US worry about the rest." Commander Daimon came into the room.

"How is the paperwork coming along?"

Shiina gathered it all up, fully organized. "Everything is signed for and ready to go." She held up a series of folders. "The first goes to the Vesper Personnel Office. The second goes to Housekeeping. The third goes to…you, Daimon, as you are assigned to be contact liaison between Mahoro and Vesper. The fourth goes to Gunji, as your back up. The fifth goes to the Archives Division and the sixth goes to Don Vesper. Actually, I'll take care of Don's." Shiina took that one back.

"Thank you. I will take those and get them distributed. I am on my way!" And Gunji left the room. As Daimon turned back to Mahoro, he saw tears in her eyes.

"Mahoro? Are you…feeling fine?"

"It's just all of this effort on my behalf. I am so touched by this," she whispered.

Daimon spoke. "I don't think you really understand how much you mean to all of us. I consider you one of my daughters, and I would do anything for them."

Shiina stepped in. "It's like you said: you want to give back. We are giving back to you, to help you in your wish. Don was right; today, nothing else matters but you. It's not the least we can do; it is the best we can do. It is what we want to do. For you." Shiina then gave her a big hug.

Daimon smiled, and then looked at his watch. "Oh, look at the time. There is still a lot to do and the day is just running away from us. Tempus Fuget." He tapped his watch.

Shiina looked up to Daimon. "Cave canum." She smiled, and then looked to Mahoro. "I want you to sit here and read up on what you need for the class. Your day is really over. It's now time for us to work." Daimon and Shiina left the room. Now finally quiet, Mahoro sat down and began reading the course material.

"Being a domestic is a noble profession…"

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 398 DAYS**

End Notes

So, where to begin?

When I finally came up with the concept of these "In-Between Days", I was in a bit of a pickle. I kept debating where would be the best place to start.

I do not know the posting system here well enough to keep changing the chapter order, pushing back what is the genuine Chapter One for me. It might be easier just to write the REAL Chapter One and not have to worry about drop-ins until later.

The funny thing about this story is that it just came to me. That is the scary part of writing. I initially intended to write about 50 stories or chapters for this massive opus of mine, the over-all titled "In-Between Days". Eventually, the absolute first Mahoro story I wrote, "A Sprig of Hope" will be the Omega to this series, as this one represents the Alpha.

And since this is a "further story", I'm not giving up anything in the time area. But there are a lot of questions. It seems every time I start writing, I generate questions, questions that the original writers either never considered or didn't bother to address.

I mean, we "lose" six of those first eight days. She starts out on Day 398 in Vesper HQ, and then she is on the bus in Hiryu on Day 391. What happened in between? I deduced that Day 398 is spent removing everything they have to, in order to prolong her systems, and that Day 391 is partially seen with her on the bus, stopping the bullets.

The rest of it? She certainly needs a Housekeeping Education, so she goes to school for a week, to at least grasp the fundamentals of it, as well as some debriefing and instructions as to what will be expected of her in the civilian world.

Also, how did they "remove her armaments"? I always assumed there was no real armor, as like what Ryuga wore, but it was sheer energy that protected her. I also have no idea what her weaponry was, beyond Shining Darkness. The gun she used was just a gun and does not use any real power (as mentioned in Season One, Episode Five, when Vesper does the 'autopsy' of the Crab Robot).

I am taking the approach that they merely shut it off, so she does not have access to it. Without the energy drain or need, she lasts longer. As to what constitutes the remaining 30 (beyond Shining Darkness), I assume heightened agility, speed, super strength and her aiming capabilities, but that is merely a guess. Then, we have the idea of her understanding as to how humans live.

Does she need to comprehend money? Rather than classes, could they program the information into her a la "The Matrix"? Pop her in a chair, hook her up and download it all? ("I know Kung Fu!")

My other problem is how my muse stops by for a visit. Although this is the first story in the series, it was actually the sixteenth written, and so it might be "better" that those that are posted later, benefiting by me really getting into the rhythm of the story arc.

The scary thing is this: in two weeks, I'll be writing another story that isn't even an idea as we speak, much like this story was. It's just that I do not want to sacrifice ANY days. Here is a good example of what I speak of and that is the Dance of the Dead Festival.

That really is a four-day arc, starting on July 23rd (when the City Councilman comes by the house to ask Mahoro if she would please dance) and ending on July 26th (the actually festival and the viewing of the fireworks show). HOWEVER, we glide over the 24th and the 25th, as well as most of the 26th, so there are potentially three days that something else could be happening.

I really do not wish to give up those days and, possibly, I may not have to, but I haven't a real clue as to what went down on those days or what might go down on those days.

I am also assured that an organization like Vesper can get things done NOW, so that is why they were able to mainstream Mahoro so quickly into her new life. Get signed up for class! Fill out that paperwork! Cut through the bureaucratic layers! Obtain the proper signatures! Slap those forms into the right hands! Process! Process! Process some more!

I am also pondering if I wish to do tales on Mahoro at the Housekeeping Services school, but that is something that can easily await another day. I mean, how do you make it interesting?

For those unfamiliar with the Latin phrases at the end, "Tempus Fuget" means "Time Flies" and "Cave Canum" means "Beware of the Dog."


	2. Chapter 2, First Day of Work

"First Day of Work"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

June 24th

There was a superb party being held at Vesper Headquarters in downtown Tokyo. Among the other facilities they had in the building, a decent-sized conference room for get-togethers and celebrations was also available.

Since there had not been a reason for a party in a long time, all the stops were pulled out for this one. Tables were filled to collapsing with loads of foods and drinks. The room itself was festooned with balloons and banners. Everyone wanted to come in for this particular get-together, as it was a start of Mahoro's retirement.

"Retirement!" snorted Professor Hokaze. "She not really going to retire; I prefer to think of this more as a new direction for her." Hokaze gulped down his ginger ale as he attacked the cheese tray.

Sub-Commander Gunji placed some spring rolls on a plate. "Still, I hope that she makes the most of her time left, which is….?"

Hokaze put up a hand. "Please, don't remind me. This would be Day 391 for her. I only hope that I………" Hokaze stopped abruptly.

"Hope what?" Gunji bore in on him.

Hokaze smiled. "I hope that I don't cry when she leaves and that she has a good first day at work. No more excitement for her."

Gunji slowly ate a spring roll, staring at Hokaze. "Yes, surely a nice thought." Hokaze was hiding something, he knew it, but he wasn't going to press it. At least, not for today. A thumping sound could be heard on the microphone. Everyone turned to the podium to see Commander Daimon standing there.

"Good day, everyone. As you know, Mahoro will be heading out to her new life. She's not really leaving us, so don't think of this as a farewell party, but a celebration of her next step. So, let me bring out the Maid of Honor herself, Mahoro!"

Everyone applauded as Mahoro came out in her maid outfit. She was a bit embarrassed at all the attention focused on her as she made her way to the podium. People clapped and made cooing noises. She bowed to Daimon, who bowed back. She went to the microphone.

"I'm not very good at speeches…"

"That's great!" piped up someone from the crowd as a roar of laughter followed the comment.

Mahoro blushed. "I just want you all to know that I think of you as my family and that I will always keep you in my memories." Applause greeted her as she stepped away from the podium. Daimon stepped back in. "Well, enough said, let's eat!"

A huge roar came from the throng as everyone made their way to the tables. Daimon turned to Mahoro. "Ahh, we have to talk a little shop before you can join everyone." Mahoro nodded as Daimon led her to a table, where they sat.

"So, Mahoro, what will happen is that you will be taken to the train station. Your particular train leaves in about two hours, so that gives you enough time to meet everyone at the party AND get to the station on time. We could have scheduled you for the later train, but that one is not an express and I know how anxious you are to get down to Hiryu and be with Mr. Misato. Oh, right."

Daimon fished into one of his pockets and pulled out a small photo, giving it to Mahoro. "This is what Suguru Misato looks like now. On the back is his address and phone number." She looked at the picture. He seemed to be a rather shy person, with large glasses and unkempt hair.

He certainly looks different than when I last saw him, but that was almost four years ago and not under the best of circumstances, she thought. She placed the photo in the pocket of her apron as Daimon went on.

"In the ticket packet you will get later are the details of how to get to the Misato household. Basically, you take the train from Tokyo, though Yokohama, to Hiryu. The trip will take about 75 minutes. From there, you will take the subway from the Hiryu Station to the Black Pine Station and catch the Number Three Bus to Rose Hill Park. All the details will be in the packet. I just don't want to take any more time away from this festive occasion." He looked over Mahoro's shoulder. "Especially since everyone is impatiently waiting for me to shut up and cut you loose. Go. Enjoy."

With that, Daimon got up, waved to Mahoro and left.

"Man, I thought he'd never leave!" someone said and everyone descended on the table. Everyone wanted to take their picture with her. Numerous cameras were passed about and flashes were popping off until everyone was too blinded to see anymore. There were lots of hand-shaking and cheek-kissing and bear-hugging. Mahoro was a bit worried that her new uniform would get worn away to a nub before she even really had a chance to use it properly.

Then came the endless toasting. Everyone had to make do with sodas and water until Commander Daimon showed back up.

"It is almost time to take Mahoro to the station." A chorus of "No!" could be heard. Mahoro looked at the clock. The time really had sped by. "But we will be giving her a real send off! If you please!" A variety of aides came in with trays filled with champagne. All were amazed and the aides negotiated the room with aplomb. "Everyone please take one glass for the big toast!" Even Mahoro was given a glass.

Daimon raised his glass high and everyone else followed suit. "To Mahoro!" he said.

"To Mahoro!" as the room erupted in a loud, lusty yell. Then, the champagne was gurgled down. Daimon went to Mahoro, took her by the hand and they left the room. Daimon turned back in and spoke to everyone else. "Please continue to enjoy yourselves. I will be back in a little bit to help you along," he commented. As they left the room, the rest of the party-goers followed, spilling out into the hallway, watching as they got onto the elevator. When the doors closed, everyone sprang into action.

Numerous cell phones popped open. "Go! Go, go, go!" could be heard as everyone bolted for the stairwells, clattering down in a thunder of feet as fast as they could speed along.

In the elevator, Mahoro was silent. Daimon looked over at her. "You're not nervous, are you?" he asked.

"No, not nervous, but…but this is all so new to me, so it feels a bit strange."

"I hope you never lose that sense of wonderment, Mahoro. It's what makes you so special."

The elevator opened on the ground floor and they headed for the doors. Daimon led and opened the door for her where they both saw that every employee of Vesper was lined up outside. A red carpet extended from the front doors to the car waiting at the curb. Ms. Shiina leaned against the car, arms crossed in bemusement.

As Mahoro made her way to the car, there was lots of cheering, with numerous champagne poppers and confetti cartridges being fired off, showering the both of them with sparkling, fluttering papers. By the time they reached the car, they were covered thick with strands and glittery bits.

Shiina held open the door for Mahoro, who turned about and waved one last time before she got in. Shiina followed her into the back seat. Daimon headed around to the driver's seat. They waved again and drove off towards the train station.

Daimon mumbled. "It's going to take me weeks to get all of this out of my uniform."

In back, Shiina started to brief Mahoro. "Here is your day bag, which is roomy enough for almost any kind of shopping. You will find inside…" She pulled out a folder. "…this folder, which holds a copy of the want ad that Suguru Misato placed, asking for a maid; your letter of introduction from Vesper Housekeeping Services; your diploma from Vesper Housekeeping Services and a map to get you from the Hiryu Train Station to the Misato household." That was placed back into the bag.

"Here is your cell phone and there is an adaptor to recharge it. There is nothing worse than having no power for your phone." Shiina handed her the phone, which Mahoro placed in her pocket.

"Here is a clutch, which has your driver's license. You are cleared to fly or drive any piece of equipment, save perhaps the space shuttle." Shiina looked to Mahoro, expecting her to laugh, but she didn't. "OK, you also have about 10,000 yen in here, with some loose change as well. We also have a subway pass and a bus pass, so you won't waste time fumbling about. You'll be able to get on and get through quickly." Each item was shown to her and then the clutch was placed in the bag

She pulled out a letter-sized envelope. "Here is your train ticket, one way to Hiryu. The ride should take about 75 minutes or so. As to the matter of your clothing, those will be dropped off by special courier tomorrow. We want you to travel light now and not have to worry about dragging luggage about. Just the day bag." She pointed to the bag. Mahoro nodded.

"Don't forget the brooch," reminded Daimon.

"I was getting to that." From a pocket in her jacket, Shiina pulled out a red brooch and fastened it to Mahoro's ascot. "This device will allow you to call up your Sylpheed, should the need arise, as well as any other Vesper item. Just because you are out there on your own, it doesn't mean that you are out there all alone. Just be cautious when you use it, away from prying eyes."

Shiina looked at Mahoro. "Well, that's just about it. And just in time, too." Daimon pulled into the lot of the train station and went up to the special parking area. Shiina and Mahoro got out.

"I am going to park this and come over to see you off," said Daimon.

"We're on Track 6, but hurry, as we have about 15 minutes to go," said Shiina.

Daimon drove off as Shiina and Mahoro went into the train station. It was a cavernous building, packed with people, but Shiina nimbly negotiated the crowds and soon, they were standing on the platform at the train.

The train itself was gorgeous to look at, a streamlined beauty. People were getting on and the conductor staff was making indications that it was time to leave. Shiina looked about and finally saw Daimon chugging towards them, panting heavily.

"Either the station is getting larger or I'm getting larger," he gasped, hunkered over. Then he stuck a finger in the air. "And NO comments from YOU, Ms. Shiina!" She merely smiled. Daimon stood upright.

"Mahoro. This is not farewell. You are not really leaving us, just taking some time away. And you are always welcome to come back to visit at any, ANY time." Daimon gave her a big hug. He was a huge man, so she was swallowed up by his arms.

"All aboard!" All turned to see the conductor, waving his arm.

"Well, it's time," said Mahoro, tears brimming in her eyes. Shiina took her by the hand and led her to the train car, and made sure she got on board. Mahoro turned about, bowing. "I'll write every day. I will do my best to honor you."

Shiina gave a half smile back. "When you honor yourself, you honor us all." Mahoro smiled back. They watched as she made her way to her seat and sat down, waving at them. The train started up and began to pull out of the station, Mahoro still waving

Shiina and Daimon waved back until the train was long out of sight. "Why do I feel so bad?" asked Daimon, sighing.

"The same reason we all do. We are unhappy that she is leaving, as she has been such a part of out lives for these many years. It's like saying good bye to a very dear friend." She turned to Daimon. "Wouldn't it have been easier to take her down there ourselves?"

"Yes, but she wants to try and live as a human, so we must afford her the opportunity to do so. That means she is treated like a regular person: riding the train, taking the subway, using the bus. We must not draw attention to her. She is now a simple maid."

Shiina crossed her arms and shook her head 'no', a wicked grin on her face. "There is nothing 'simple' about it." They headed back to the car.

On the train, Mahoro watched as the urban landscape gave way to verdant hillsides. Things look so different, she thought, as the train sped along. Going into her bag, she examined the map. She wanted to make sure that there would be no mistakes in getting to the Misato household. It would be easy enough when she got off at that last bus stop. One block over, three blocks up.

She looked up again as the scenery soared by. It was hard to believe at one time this countryside was scarred with the lash of war, but with Saint in a kind of hibernation, there was no need for her to be on active duty. Besides, this is the life she now wanted. She was given a chance and she chose it. She went through her mind the duties and responsibilities she would have to attend to. She was so intent on sorting it all out, that she almost missed the sights of Yokohama.

She looked up in time to see the huge amusement park, the giant Ferris wheel slowly rotating. She pressed herself against the glass, gazing at the people enjoying themselves. It would be nice to be able to go there some day, but…No. As a maid, her duties are to her master and the house. There will be no time for frivolity. The stop in Yokohama was brief and before she knew it, she was at the Hiryu Station.

She stepped out and could smell the sea breeze, wafting up from the beach. It was a compact town, but still full of bustle. Walking across the street, she picked up the subway. She had never understood why the train station always appeared to be in such an inconvenient location, but that is the way it seemed.

At the time of day she was riding, the cars were rather empty, but she still chose to stand, looking out. When the line elevated, she got an excellent view of the beach and the ocean, stretching outwards. Perhaps Suguru would want to go to the beach someday. After all, school would be out soon and Summer Break lay before him with…no!

She could not have these errant thoughts. She had to be committed with every fiber of her being to tending to Suguru and his needs. Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew the photo of him and stared at it. For such a young man, he had gone through so much. His mother was killed by a hit-and-run driver when he was eight; his father died two years later in what was billed as an industrial accident, although she knew the truth on that one.

Suguru had spent the last four years living on his own. Perhaps brave, perhaps foolish, but now, with this opportunity, it was a way to give back all that Commander Misato had given to her. This was something that would help Suguru, despite her own shortened operating time.

She got off at Black Pine Station, where a series of black pines grew about the station, making it look less urban. Finding the Number 3 bus, she stepped on and sat down. It would be a few minutes before it left. She checked the time and nodded happily. "I should get to the house about the same time he does."

Shiina was right, thought Mahoro, as she put the bus pass back into her clutch. These really did help get me through and with a minimum of fuss. She could hear the sounds of a mother playing with her daughter and her stuffed bear, Tama-chan. Mahoro smiled as she turned to look at them. They are so happy, she mused.

A few more people got on the bus and, eventually, they all headed off. The bus lurched and made growling noises as it negotiated the streets of Hiryu. This would be the longest part of the trip. She had looked at the map for the area. One option was getting off at Temple Station and taking the Number 9 bus to Oak Leaf Terrace, but that would not have been as efficient. No matter which way she went, it would take time to get to the final destination. People got on and off as the bus wended its way through town.

Mahoro was lost in thought, trying to think of the best way to introduce herself to Suguru. Certainly, showing the letter of introduction and the diploma would be a good start, but he would have questions. She had never been asked NOT to tell people she was a combat android, but, he is a Misato, so it's not like he is a total stranger. There could be some things that he can be told, except, of course, the Big One.

How could she convince him that she was the best one for the job? She knew of her abilities. Everyone in the class was impressed with what she was able to do and how well. She had scored highest in all categories and was proclaimed the best student ever by Totoke-sensei, a very high honor indeed.

But how do you translate that out? Perhaps a sample of her abilities would be called for? A ten-minute display of her talents in cleaning windows? Whatever she chose, it would have to be of such a dramatic nature that he would be impressed with everything she did.

So spaced out was Mahoro, she barely noticed that Suguru had gotten on the bus. He was looking rather rumpled, both in hair and in clothing, as he took his seat. He looked over to her and she looked back at him, smiling and making a small laugh. He reddened and turned back, pretending to look out the window at something. She pulled out the photo, but really didn't need to. It was him.

What to do? Should she go over and introduce herself now? No, that wouldn't work. How would she know that it was him otherwise? The best thing to do would be to take the ride to its conclusion. Of course, he would get rather suspicious as they both walked to his house, so she would have to either give him time to get there or take the long way around and…

"Listen up, chumps! If you don't wanna die, you'll do what I say!"

Mahoro, like everyone else, looked up to see two men at the front of the bus. One was very tall, with spiky black hair, holding a gun on the bus driver. The other was a shorter blond man, perhaps not even 16. An athlete's bag was at their feet, overflowing with money.

The blond said something that could not be heard and the larger man turned on him. "Can it, chump! We'll kill everyone on board, if that's what it takes! Heh, heh, heh!"

Mahoro stared out at them with one thought on her mind: "Perhaps the civilian world is not as boring as I had previously suspected."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 391 DAYS**

End Notes

This is another of those "further days" stories I carry on about, which gives me an opportunity to tell a tale and not really give up a day in telling it. Also, since we know almost nothing of those early days, the tabula rasa is too great of a temptation to pass up.

There is a massive time break between June 24th and July 20th. We have Mahoro finding the ecchi stash (July 2nd), when the whole gang comes to visit the new and improved house (July 7th), the bathhouse/sauna incident (July 19th) and the Graveside Visit (July 20th).

A lot of missing days, so a lot of potential possibilities.

Certainly, a lot of things bothered me about Mahoro's first day. Like, where is her luggage? I mean, we do see her with clothing later on (like with the Crab Robot episode), so, did she buy those outfits later? I don't recall even seeing a day bag (I mean, we do see something later on, but not on THAT day) and I do not think she is going to sleep in her maid uniform and, potentially, just her underwear; thus the comment by Daimon. There are days that I feel like the Little Dutch Boy, sticking my fingers in the dike of all of these loose ends and missing concerns.

I often refer to The First Rule of Fan Fiction ("Respect the source material."), but "Mahoromatic" makes it very hard to do so when THEY themselves don't respect it. And with conflicts between the manga storyline and the anime storyline, consistency is just a hard word to spell.

I decided to end the story at the point where I did, for I do not want overlap. I did debate whether to take it from Mahoro's point of view, up until she runs away from the accident, but felt that it was not fully required, especially for those who know the anime and/or the manga.

The subway? If you watch the opening credits in the anime for the first season, you see her going somewhere on the subway, so I have to assume that there is mass transit of that caliber. She rides it one more time (the Crab Robot episode) but, for the open, I had to guess that she rode it in for this purpose. Still, riding it at sunset (sunrise?) puts it late in the day for her to meet Suguru. Again, it's hard to respect the source material.

I had seriously debated turn this into what I call an "Extended Compaction", taking two or three chapters to follow this event. I mean, there is a great deal of possibilities between when Mahoro is forced to leave the scene of the accident and then turns up at the Misato household an hour or so later.

I am still debating that (as I could conceivable squeeze another two chapters from all this), but, at the present time, I have enough of my plate.


	3. Chapter 3, Committment

"Commitment"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

June 25th

Mahoro watched as Suguru headed off to school, his huge bento in tow. That lunch was a lot of work to do and it completely tapped the house of foodstuffs. She would definitely have to go to the produce district to get sufficient stocks for all meals over the next few days, but that was slated for the afternoon. There was a house to clean now! "Well, it's time to get to work!" she said.

She went back in and stared at things. The house showed the neglect borne of four years and it was going to take some time to get it back into shape. The cobwebs were certainly a strong indicator of that. "Three days. I can get this all done in three days." Mahoro went to the laundry room to start the first load of clothes.

The closet explosion from the night before told her this would be the most time-consuming aspect of everything, as there was just so much to do. It was as though rather than washing the clothes, Suguru just bought new and either wore them down or out. At least the sunny June weather meant that the clothing would dry quickly out on the line. Once the first load was started, it was back into the main house.

She recalled the words of Commander Misato, "You must establish your base of operations before you move outwards." That meant she had to start with the kitchen. She had been able to get some things attended to last night, but that was done more to offer an ability to navigate the kitchen, and not a full clean. The fridge itself would be done a bit later, as that was going to require a complete overhaul. There were things in there that were growing and she would need to make it fresh for the new foods coming in.

Mahoro sniffed. Something wasn't right with the air; it wasn't fish stinky, but it wasn't garden crisp. She went to the fridge, but the smells did not come from there. She walked about the house, trying to find the location of the smell. It certainly was a stuffy sensation, but no specific spot could be detected. The house needed a good airing out. She opened up all the windows to allow the early summer breeze to drift through the rooms and make things cheery.

With the blinds up, she saw that it was a double-edged sword. The house immediately looked better, as the sunlight came in to chase away the gloom, but it really showed the amount of messiness. She sighed. It looked like it would now take four days at this point. Into the kitchen.

After the breakfast dishes were done and put out to dry, the sink was filled with soapy water and Mahoro proceeded to wipe down all the cabinet faces. In some places, she was surprised to discover the wood was not that dark, but years of grease and grime had taken their toll. The kitchen appeared brighter, but a wood polishing would come later and…

She looked at the floor. She was pretty well assured that gray was not the original color of it. "Well, if I was the vacuum cleaner, where would I hide? The hallway closet would be a good start." She went to the door, put her hand out on the knob, and then froze, pulling her hand back.

She remembered last night when she opened Suguru's closet and was nearly smothered under an avalanche of clothing. This time, she would be smart. Standing on the other side of the door, she reached over for the knob, turned it and yanked the door open fast.

CRASH!

The contents of the closet tumbled out onto the floor. Mahoro was safe behind the door, but when she saw what had come out, she sighed even harder. It appeared it would take five days to get the house into shape. Peering into the inky depths of the closet, she saw the vacuum, but it was a Herculean struggle to free it from all the entanglements. The clothes hangers seem to have bred out of control and it was a snarled puzzle as the other items inside conspired against her from removing the vacuum.

However, in her wrestling match, she was able to find a pouch of vacuum bags, unopened. This was not a good sign, she thought. Once she found all the attachments to the vacuum cleaner, she assembled it. "Now, Mr. Vacuum Cleaner, we are going to get to know each other very well over the next few days, so let's see if we can work together."

She went into the kitchen and began to remove all the cobwebs, lurking in corners, hiding under tables and counters, stuffed away in the window tracks. When she went for the lint trap under the fridge, it was a veritable warren of dust bunnies. She was afraid the vacuum would clog up, but it performed well.

Slowly, things were getting cleaned up. With the washing down of the kitchen floor, ("And the floor really is white, not gray"), and the final polishing of the wood, that room was secured. She looked at the clock: 10:30. It was now the entry hall's turn, but first, more laundry.

Load One was taken out of the machine and Load Two was started. The day was warming up nicely. "Good, these will dry quickly and then I can iron it all. Suguru looked like a wrinkled bed this morning and I cannot have that happen again. He may not know all that much about his father, but he will carry on in his fine tradition of always looking your best." She came back in to gaze at the entry hall.

It was a rat's maze, as one had to negotiate all the piles of magazines, paper bags, lost clothing and errant recyclables. "It would be best to see what I am doing," she commented, so the glass on the door was attacked first. Polished to crystal clearness, the light streamed in. She looked from the door's perspective: for such a small area, it managed to be crammed with all kinds of problems. She had to put away books and the piles of garbage that were strewn about before she could even see the floor, to be able to vacuum up all the dust and spider webs.

The vacuum was making odd noises, almost a gagging sound, so when she checked it out, she was shocked to see the bag had been completely filled, as hard as a rock and just as heavy. "I am going to have to modify my end date to be six days to get this house into shape," she mused as she swapped out the bags. At least trash pick-up day was tomorrow, so these bags of refuse wouldn't be hanging around too long.

What bothered her most about the area was the flower vase. The flower had been dead for so long, it was mummified and the water had completely evaporated from it. All the vases and planters had hopelessly dead plants in them. Later on today, she would get some clippings from the garden to not only add color to the house, but fragrance as well. Still, with a bit more effort, the entryway was cleaned and straightened up. Two rooms down. As she wiped her brow, the clock chimed noon. It was time to get down to the marketplace. She wanted to tackle the fridge before the food came in, but the day was just slipping away.

She scampered outside and checked the clothes on the line; they were fully dried. Load One was brought into the house and laid on the table, as she would address it later. Load Two was taken out of the machine and Load Three was started. She headed out into the backyard to hang up Load Two. The day was getting warmer. Dare I dream of getting a fourth load done today, she pondered.

As she headed to the marketplace, she was lost in thought. This task was certainly much more difficult than she had imagined. Destroying androids was a piece of cake compared to taking care of a house and Suguru had left absolutely everything in her capable hands. She was not going to let him down and she was not going to let herself down. Even the education she had gotten as the Vesper Housekeeping Services had not fully prepared her for this level of, well, combat.

The Marketplace was a hive of activity as she looked about at all the wares and goods. There was so much to choose from! She stopped at the fishmonger's shop to see what came in. He was a portly man, making sure everything was fresh and on ice as he bustled about. He looked up as saw Mahoro peering at the fish.

"Well, I haven't seen you around here before. I can't remember the last time a saw a genuine maid. And who are you, if I may ask?"

"I am Mahoro and I am the new maid for the Misato household."

"The Haunted House? He got himself a maid? Well, I admire Suguru for trying to live by himself for four years, but he needs help." The fish monger leaned in close. "He eats badly. Too much fast food, and for a growing boy, he needs something tasty."

"Well, what do you have in…" Mahoro stopped and stared. "That is a lovely halibut."

"Oho, the lady has an eye for value. Shall I wrap that up for you?"

"Hai! And also some of that cod as well." As her supplies were taken care of, Mahoro thought about all the things she could do with that succulent halibut. "I have a piece of fishy, so tasty on my dishy, a tiny bit of breading and for dinner you'll be ready," she sang to herself.

Over to the greengrocer's, she saw lots and lots to choose from. He was a man who wore his baseball cap backwards, and he greeted the maid. "This is the finest produce in all of Hiryu. If you want it any fresher, you'd have to go to the farm and pick it yourself."

"Let's see," mulled Mahoro." The white radishes, the kale, the carrots, the…oooooh! Is that udo? A bit of that as well."

"You certainly know your vegetables and you have a good eye for value. Are you new to the area?" The greengrocer began to gather the items.

"Yes, I started as a maid for the Misato household yesterday."

"The Misatos? The Haunted House?" Mahoro made a perplexed face. How much of a landmark was the home? "I don't think that boy has eaten vegetables for some time. He may have forgotten what they look like as well."

"Thank you. It is my solemn task to make sure he is fed properly. I mean, what I thought was a bit of blue cheese in the refrigerator was a three-year old cake."

"Then you must come to see me. Together, we can keep him well-fed and healthy." The greengrocer smiled as he handed her the food.

"I will do that. There is still so much that I have to go, so, good bye for now." Mahoro waved to him as she moved on.

She made a trip over to the butcher's shop. "I would like some pork, some chicken and…oh, that lamb looks nice, but I'll save that for a later time. But I will get some of that lovely beef there."

"Well," said the butcher, "it looks like someone is laying in supplies, or is someone having a party?"

"I just want to make certain that I have tasty enough bentos for my master, Suguru Misato."

"You are a maid for the Misato Haunted House?" Mahoro wanted to say something, but held herself in check, smiling pleasantly. This was getting spooky. She merely nodded. "Well, this should offer you enough for several bentos and some dinners as well."

Mahoro was getting weighed down with items, but she needed to get some rice as well. A stop by one more store that had rather large bags of rice at the ready came next. As she was preparing to pay for the bag, the woman behind the counter looked at her and all that she was carrying.

"It appears you must be really out of food at your house. I mean, that or company has come by and have devoured everything in sight."

"I am…" she paused for a moment. "…I have been asked to clean up and tend to the Haunted House?" she ventured cautiously.

The clerk's eyes opened wide, and then she grasped Mahoro's hands. Mahoro was a bit stunned as the woman gushed on. "Oh, bless you, bless you. The City Council was close to condemning it. I knew the Misatos and the house was one of the best in town. Anything that can be done for it would be appreciated. By all of us."

"I will do my best. I will not rest until it is perfect! The house will be immaculate, both inside and out. I cannot let the weeds take over the hydrangea garden or the dust mites to control the house," promised Mahoro. "Oh, my, look at the time. I have to be going. There is still so, so much to do."

"Thank you. Thank you so very much." The woman waved after Mahoro as she lugged home all the groceries. Just before she left the marketplace, something caught her eye at one store: vacuum beads. She stopped to look at them when the shopkeeper came up.

"What are these?" asked Mahoro.

"These help the house smell fresh." He opened up a canister to show them to her: beads about the size of pearls. "What you do is put between five and ten beads in your vacuum cleaner bag, depending on the size of the vacuum. As you vacuum, the beads heat up and release a pleasant aroma through the exhaust. And it smells better than spray in a can."

Mahoro looked at the scents offered. "Vanilla, lavender, lemon-lime, fresh linen. Hydrangea? I will take that canister."

On the way home, she sang a tiny song. "The hydrangeas smell so sweet, their aroma on the breeze, and wherever I may go, it reminds me of my home." Back at the house, she saw three large boxes on the porch. "Ahh, my clothing," she remarked. "I'll get to that in a bit." She put the groceries down, and then went to the laundry.

The clothes on the line were dry. "Yes. A fourth load!" she said. Load Two came off the line and was placed on the table, Load Three was put in a basket while Load Four went into the wash. When Load Three was hung out, she went back in to tackle the fridge.

Its near-vacant state made for easy access, although much still had to be discarded. It took some time to clean out and wipe down the surfaces, but, soon enough, it was clean enough to accept all the new foods. It looked very happy in the fridge now, especially with the departure of the Blue Cake.

Heading outside, Load Three was now dry. "I was so lucky to get a warm day for this," she said, taking the clothes down. Laid on the table, Load Four went out onto the line. "I may have just enough time to get this dried. I know it means a lot of ironing tonight, but he will have crisp clothes for school tomorrow." She then toted her boxes up to her room.

She threw the fragrance beads in the vacuum bag, but only put in four. The rate the bag was filling up, it might not last much longer. She started to vacuum the front room and was surprised at the amount of dust that was kicked up. Also, the carpet dramatically changed color from something dingy to something dazzling. She had to stop, as the dust was incredible. There was no getting around it: at least a full week would be required to complete the house. She hadn't even gotten to the upstairs!

Turning off the vacuum for a moment, she thought. If only she could suck the lint out of the air and…DING! An idea came to her. Scrambling around the debris on the floor, she found another nozzle attachment. She removed the vacuum head, put the wand upright and turned the vacuum on. It should take out a lot of the free-floating dust in the room and make breathing easier, she surmised.

Back into the kitchen, it was getting busy. Between the vacuum's heat and the stove top, the house was a confluence of aromas. She was working as fast as she could, as she was doing an after-school snack, tonight's dinner and tomorrow's bento. The chiming clock advised her that Suguru would be home soon. Where was the day going? The clock seemed to be spinning wildly, hands out of control. The faster she worked, the less time that she had. She managed to get something partially together just as Suguru came into the house.

"Mahoro, I'm home. MAHORO, I'M HOME!" Suguru yelled over the vacuum. Mahoro ran over to shut it off. Suguru saw the house, looking about. "Look at this place."

Mahoro knelt in front of Suguru, sobbing lightly. "I am sorry. I tried so hard to get everything perfect, but it was just too much to do. I have failed you."

Suguru dropped his school work and came down to Mahoro to grasp her hands. She looked up at him. "Are you kidding?" he said softly. "The house hasn't looked this good in years! From what you have done, I am happy with the results. That bento you gave me had everyone talking. It was absolutely fabulous. And…" Suguru sniffed the air. "It just smells so fresh and pleasant in here. You have not failed me, Mahoro."

Mahoro managed a half smile. "It's just…just that I want you to feel that you can bring anyone over at any time and not have people talk about 'The Haunted House' or worry that this home is going to be condemned by the City Council."

Suguru dropped his head and adjusted his glasses, turning red in the process. "Oh, yeah, those were some scary times. But I just remind myself of something my dad use to say: 'Rome wasn't built in a day'."

"Because of the Unions." The reply just popped out of Mahoro and, horrified, she put her hands over her mouth.

"Yes, that's exactly what he used to say," said Suguru, looking perplexed.

"Heh, heh, my commanding officer used to say the same thing." Suguru must never know of my contact with his father, worried Mahoro.

"In any case," said Suguru, helping Mahoro up," I appreciate all your efforts. It really shows. Perhaps it might be best to work on the rooms one at a time, so you don't feel overwhelmed. This room…" and he pointed into the living room, "…can be for tomorrow, as well as the hall closet. Hey! I was looking for that coat!" He pointed to the pile of debris in front of the open closet.

Suguru picked up his school items. "I'm going to go to my room and complete my homework. Please, you finish up that which you need to for tonight and you can go after something else tomorrow. It's OK, don't fret." Mahoro watched as he nimbly picked his way through the clutter.

"I'll have a snack for you ready in about fifteen minutes," she called after him.

"That will be fine, Mahoro. Thank you." And he disappeared upstairs.

Feeling better, she worked on the food and got dinner under control. She then went about the house, closing the windows and pulling the drapes for the evening. The vacuum was placed so people wouldn't trip over it and the contents of the closet were shoved back inside. Load Four was retrieved from outside, then it was all moved into the laundry room.

She planned the rest of the evening. "After dinner and the dishes, I can get to some of the ironing. There is just so much to go after, but he is going to look better. Everything is going to look better." With that completed, all was at the ready. She called up from the base of the stairs. "Suguru, your snack is ready!"

"OK, I'll be right down!"

She went back into the kitchen. Looking over to the fridge, she saw the contract Suguru had given her last night, held in place by a magnet. She put her hand out and touched it. "I will not fail you, Suguru. Ever."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 390 DAYS**

End Notes

For those of you familiar with the series, you are aware that Mahoro was given 398 functional days before she shuts down forever. But if you really read the mangas, and watch the animes, there are only about 40 actual days that one sees, and 30 hinted-at days (plus the fact that she gets cheated out of about 100 days at the end). What happens with those other non-mentioned days?

I attempted to address that problem by looking at many (but not all) of those days. I mean, if you put together a calendar of events (which I have done), there are huge gaps in the narrative, allowing for these "in-between days".

This particular day is a double bonus for me, as it is a "further day". There are certain days that end "early". This story, in both the manga and the anime, concludes on the MORNING of Day 390. Well, what about the rest of the day?

I have a chance to tell a tale and not surrender any real time in doing so. Another "further day" for me comes at Day 299, right after the fight with Ryuga, as that tale ends in the early morning hours of September 23rd.

These dates are not fully conjecture (until what I call the End Days, which is anything after April 2nd), as there is solid evidence that Day 365 is July 20th. If the story was allowed to run "naturally", Mahoro would have been able to visit the gravesite of Commander Misato one last time before she shut down.

Simple math allows me to give dates to all these stories. We, however, are not going to talk about what YEAR this all takes place in. Both book and show talk about a Saint Invasion in the "early" 80s, but one cannot determine the year it all began, as this current year, Mahoro's Last Year, is all messed up.

The Crab Robot episode takes place on Sunday, July 27th (confirmed by the anime), but that would make the year 1997. However, the Bathhouse Episode shows July 20th as a Wednesday, making that year 1994. Yet, with Christmas also falling on a Wednesday (from one of the 'Hectic Holidays' episodes), you are placed into 1996.

Now, with Ryuga being "only" three years old, that means ALL of their battles occurred in the 90s, not really the 80s, so it makes for very confusing times. I can get calendar dates (the Summer Fair/Dance of the Dead takes place on August 26th), but that's it. The earliest year that could occur is also 1997, but that's not a guarantee.

Plus, in the anime, we see about three or so days before the actual dance, so that story arc goes from the 23rd to the 26th, which is odd, for the Festival beginning, when Mahoro speaks to the City Councilman, takes place the day after the conclusion of the Ninja Panty Bandit affair (seen only in the manga).

Which leads to another problem: which story line to support? Some of the dates in the anime are really messed up. I ascertained that the horrific beating she takes at the hands of Professor Metherius occurs on March 22nd , which is 120 days before the end. The anime talks about President Greg being killed on the 20th.

Since March had already come and gone at that point, I concluded that it had to be April 20th. Initially, that made better sense. She is kept in hospital for awhile (at least two weeks and perhaps longer) and then they take that trip to the hot springs. Time unfolds in a nice logical progression, leading up to Yuuchiro taking Slash to the island and wiping out Management in a suicidal purge.

But the manga has Vice President Henry being sworn in on April 2nd, so there is a massive time hole there. I wrote the fanfic, "A Sprig of Hope", which had April 29th as Mahoro's last day. The manga seems to imply that it may be no later than April 7th and, potentially, by the 5th.

In this area, the anime is of little help. I also cannot sell short the possibility of date stacking. Follow me on this line of logic: she is released by Vesper HQ one morning, immediately goes to the hot springs that day, comes back the following day, leaves the house that same day, is chased by Ferdelance and the Keepers, loses them in the forest that same day, hitchhikes across Japan (in the rain) and is eventually confronted on a beach by Ferdelance and three Man-Eater Robots, where Mahoro saves the planet but is destroyed in the process (manga). Three days to do all that? Really?

OR, Mahoro commandeers a jump jet, flies to the Yucatan Peninsula with Suguru and, whatever day she lands, is destroyed the evening of that particular day in a battle with Ferdelance (anime).

With two current exceptions, none of my "A" line stories will go beyond 3/21. One is the aforementioned "Sprig" story (April 29th, but under reconsideration for a more accurate ending time) and another one, which is still in final editing (dated for April 3rd, but I am still working on the time factor for that.) Besides, I have at least 100 other days to play around with in my tales. Like Mahoro, I have to make the best use of that time allotted to me.


	4. Chapter 4, A Dish Fit For a Maid

"A Dish Fit for a Maid"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 2nd.

It was a warmish afternoon, and the Misato residence was made even warmer by the oven operating and a couple of pots filled with sauce, bubbling away.

Mahoro was busy in the kitchen, making some snack food. She was singing a little song while hard at work. "I think salmon tastes most delicious with its skin. When I eat it for breakfast, I feel ready for the day."

At her feet, Guri sat patiently. Sensing something, he barked. "Now, now Guri-san, as soon as they all get home, you will get a little treat as well. I will not forget about you." As she was slicing up the last of the fillets into bite-size cubes, she looked up at the clock. "It is almost time for Suguru and his friends to be back. I will be ready in time."

Hurrying her pace, she was able to get the food properly prepared and presented, laid out in her usual precise manner. In the refrigerator were six chilled glasses, along with a pitcher of tea, merely waiting the right time. As she closed the fridge, she heard the front door open. "Mahoro, I'm home," chimed through the house.

"Don't you mean 'we're home', Suguru-san?" chided Miyuki.

"We've had the best shopping day ever!" squealed Rin, holding up a few bags. "I'll put on a fashion show later for you all. They had the most darling items. And at such fabulous prices!"

Behind her dragged Hamaguchi and Kawahara, who flopped into the nearby couch. "Where do they find the strength to do all that shopping?" whined Hamadi.

"They must take energy right out of the air, like plants do with sunlight," moped Kawahara. Mahoro brought over a tray with the six glasses on it.

"On this hot day, I thought you might like some cool drinks and…" Before she could finish, Hamadi and Kawahara grabbed two glasses each and noisily gurgled down the contents, one after the other.

"Careful, boys," commented Chizu. "Some of that is getting in your mouth."

"Heh heh heh," said Suguru embarrassedly. "What have you made up for today, Mahoro?"

"No, let ME guess!" offered Chizo, who made her way to the table and gazed lovingly at the servings of food before her. The rest of her friends stared at her. They knew enough to wait until she acted first. Chizo's breathing became labored, as if some great physical exertion was being primed.

"I have never seen her this mesmerized," said Rin.

"Sure you have; the last time Mahoro made anything, which was, oh…yesterday? Remember that white radish dish from last month? I thought Chizo was going to explode," said Miyuki.

"So, are we going to eat or what?" asked Kawahara.

"Not until we get the pronouncement," chided Hamadi. "She must speak first."

"If I am not mistaken, this appears to be skate? Skate cubes?" Chizo looked up for acknowledgement of her correct guess.

Mahoro nodded silently as she stood on the other side of the table, smiling away. She watched as Chizo took a bit of the food, succulent in its presentation, and dipped it in her sauce bowl. She put it in her mouth and began to shudder and curl up.

"Get back! She's gonna blow!" Rin grabbed Miyuki and hid behind the couch, while the boys scattered about. Only Mahoro remained steadfast.

"Oh….my…..GOODNESS! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRR! How did you do this? These skate cheeks are IDENTICAL to what you get at Shikamori's Fish Palace, except yours are so much more tender. The amazing blend of spices and rice vinegar takes this to a whole new level of eating! Most of the time, it's like eating rubber bands, but this, this, this! I can't…" Chizo began to devour everything in sight.

"I hope there'll be something left for us," groused Hamadi, as he looked up.

"Don't worry," said Mahoro cheerfully. "I have enough for everyone."

Suguru came up to her, shaking his head. "I'm not too certain about that."

"Why does she always have to flip out? Always," said Kawahara.

"Then she wouldn't be Chizo," countered Miyuki.

With the first plate done, Chizo fell over backwards in a stupor, gasping and panting. Rin looked at her watch. "Hmmm. 34 seconds. I think it's a new record for her." Miyuki stepped over the supine Chizo and helped herself to a bit of the skate.

"Normally, I don't like this stuff, but this is superb. What is your secret? I mean, most of the time I taste only the spices, which hides the fact that it is a rather bland dish."

"They had an excellent sale at the marketplace and I gave just enough tenderizing of them so it wasn't that chewy." Suguru had a vision of Mahoro, in her android uniform, attacking the skate as though it were an enemy, punching and pummeling it into submission.

Chizo slowly got to her feet, legs wobbly. "So…so you will be going, right?" She focused her eyes on Mahoro, wheezing and panting.

"Going? Going where?"

Chizo flared, eyes bugging out. "Don't tell me you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" Mahoro looked about, trying to get a cue from her friends, who were equally in the dark on matters. Suguru shrugged and Rin was too into her clothes to be paying close enough attention.

Chizo let out an enormous scream. Everyone winced in pain, save for Mahoro. Outside, Slash stirred. "They certainly are a noisy bunch. Day and night, night and day. Why are things always this way with them?" he pondered, as he rolled back over and napped some more.

Inside, Chizo ran frantically throughout the house, scattering things about. "Where's the paper? Where's the paper? Wheresthepaperwheresthepaperwheresthepaper? AHA!" Snatching the paper from the pile, she yanked it over, sending the unwanted sections flapping about the room. She hurriedly opened it and fluttered through the pages. "THIS is what I mean."

Scampering up to Mahoro, she snapped the paper in front of her face, but it was too close to Mahoro and she popped it too hard, so it tore in half over her, splitting right down the fold seam. Chizo stood there with the two halves of the paper, as Mahoro said nothing, but she did look at Chizo with a deal of concern.

Discarding the unneeded half, she presented a full page ad to her. "The Cooking Shogun Show is coming to town. Tomorrow!"

"Who is the Cooking Shogun?" Mahoro asked innocently.

Miyuki turned to Suguru. "What do you watch at night? Oh, right, endless anime."

Rin joined in. "I thought everyone saw that show."

"I like it when they set the food on fire," offered Hamadi.

"What have I been missing, then?" Mahoro looked perplexed.

Chizo began to talk. "It's this chef and he cooks but he cooks and with others so you see how cooking can be with cooking and…" Kawahara took Chizo by the shoulders and gently settled her in a seat, then gave her another plate of the skate.

"Stop, or you're gonna hurt yourself. You dine. I talk." He then turned to look at Mahoro. "Ahem, allow me to explain. The Cooking Shogun is Hattori Hanzo, one of the greatest chefs in Japan today…"

"THE!" corrected Chizo "The greatest chef in Japan ever and perhaps the world, the universe, for all eternity!" She stood up, thrusting her chopsticks into the air to promote his excellence.

Kawahara pointed at her. "Sit down and eat your skate. That's a good Chizo. Now, where was I? His restaurant, The Blade, in Tokyo, is so popular, reservations are made TWO years in advance. People hang around outside, just in case there is a cancellation.

"In his show, sometimes he personally takes on chefs from Japan or other countries. Other times, he pits three renowned chefs against each other in a timed competition, cooking up a meal of his choosing. At the end, top food critics sample the offerings and pass judgment on who has succeeded and who has not.

"Hanzo is of the belief that there are some great chefs out there that just never get the chance to really present themselves. This year, as he has done in the past, along with his regular shows, he is doing some regional shows, trying to find this hidden talent."

Chizo burst in. "He will be in town tomorrow, tomorrow."

Hamaji followed up, singing, "I'll love you, tomorrow, it's only a d….." Miyuki elbowed him.

"I hate that song," muttered Miyuki.

Chizo got so close to Mahoro that Mahoro had to retreat until her back hit the refrigerator. Chizo held the ad up to her, pointing at her. "YOU are going to the pre-screening tomorrow and YOU are going to the finals the following day and YOU are going to win!"

"But, as a maid, I have to take care of this household. There is no time for frivolity in these matters, as that is so un-maid like. What would the neighbors think?" Mahoro put a finger in the air to emphasize this point. "You can't believe how quickly the weeds can take over a garden or, worse, an aphid infestation! My primary duty, my sole duty, is to keep this house running properly."

She stepped away and pointed to the lone sheet of paper on the fridge, which was the contract that Suguru had signed, placing the Misato home under her care. "That must always be the first consideration."

Before Chizo could counter with an argument, Shikijo came in. "Am I late for anything? It is so hot out there." Seeing some glasses of iced tea on the table, she drained two. Everyone looked at her as she made more noise than when both the boys slugged down their drinks.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!" said Shikijo, smacking her lips. "That was nice but do you have something a bit stronger, like beer? You know, beer?" Upon seeing Suguru, she charged up to him, pinning him to the wall with her large breasts. "I am so happy to see you, Suguru-kun."

Suguru sputtered. "Shikijo-sensei, this is all too…."

Shikijo felt herself being yanked away and plunked into the nearby couch by Mahoro. "Please have a seat while I get something for you!" said Mahoro, tersely. As she filled a plate and gave it to her, Shikijo saw Chizo, trailing after Mahoro, the paper in her hand. Chizo was really trying to get Mahoro's attention, but somehow, Mahoro managed to dodge her attempts.

Shikijo was amused at this kind of pas de deux: the turning, the pirouettes, the grace and fluidity of Mahoro not wanting to address whatever Chizo desired to say. Shikijo had a bit of the skate, and then talked after she got a glimpse of the ad as it sailed past her.

"Oh, the Cooking Shogun Roadshow. I am certainly going to be there for the preliminaries. I have a chicken recipe that is marvelous. I will have such big, juicy breasts to die for!"

Mahoro stopped cold upon hearing that, her eyes glistening with resentment as Shikijo went on. "I know the whole town will be there, so I have to make sure I give the best presentation that I can. And then afterwards, Suguru-kun…" She turned back to Suguru, to get his attention, "…perhaps we can dine upon my love offerings for you."

Mahoro moved in closer to her as Shikijo started to wax rhapsodic. "Imagine it: just you and I, dining upon the patio, the stars twinkling about as the balmy weather surround us with its all-embracing warmth. A dinner fit for a king, even chicken a la King, and then, after an equally delightful dessert, it will be followed by an extra treat that only a woman of my class and breeding can…"

She got no further as Mahoro pointed a finger at Shikijo. "Then I will be there as well! The kitchen is my battlefield and I will defeat all adversaries! I'm not afraid of your breasts!" Chizo jumped up and down with joy, clapping with glee at Mahoro's challenge

The boys looked at one another. "Did Mahoro just say what I think she…" started Hamadi.

"Ixnay, ixnay," whispered back Kawahara."

Shikijo stood up and went right over to Mahoro. "Bring your best, I'll be all over you!" And to emphasize this, she leaned into Mahoro. "Many have also tried and all have been crushed by my will and might!"

"I have never lost on any battlefield to anyone and I will not permit you to be the first!" Mahoro's hair horns twitched with resentment.

Shikijo grinned. "We'll see, we'll see. This is one time you will not best me. You have no idea what you are getting into. I'm sure you may come up with something edible." As she turned about, another piece of skate disappeared from Shikijo's plate. I am in trouble, thought Shikijo. If she cooks anything like this for tomorrow, there is no way I can beat her. I'll have to pull out all the stops for this one. ALL the stops. She continued.

"Well, this is a nice piece of….whatever it is, but you'll need something more substantial to impress Shogun Chef Hanzo. I mean, if what you would make is no better than macaroni and cheese from a box, you might as well stay home and watch my triumph." Mahoro's eyes squinted into slits as she pondered ways to obliterate Shikijo.

It would be so easy to destroy her where she stands, she thought. I could vaporize her in mere moments, but then, I would have to clean up the mess and I have the house exactly where I need it to be. Besides, Suguru would never forgive me for turning her into a pile of cinders, but it would be nice to sweep her up and send her packing with the rest of the refuse. She deserves a beating, so it might be best to do so where everyone can see her humiliation. Mahoro nodded in agreement with her plan.

Shikijo took Mahoro's silence as weakness and really leaned into her. "Nothing more to say? I'm not surprised. I would be scared of me as well, so I will leave you to your 'battlefield.'" She placed the plate on the table and headed to the door, but not fully leaving. She stood on the porch and turned back to speak into the house. "Oh, and no matter what happens tomorrow, Suguru-kun, we're still on for that 'special' dinner."

"Bye," said Mahoro, who smiled broadly, waggled her fingers at her and politely slammed the door hard. She turned about. "Please stay and enjoy your meal. I have to get to work." She took the ad from Chizo and poured over it, not missing a single detail, nodding agreement to whatever she was reading.

Miyuki looked over to Kawahara. "Well, that got a bit tense. Anyone care for some more iced tea?" She began to pour some more glasses

"That was close. I felt for a moment Mahoro was going to do something to Shikijo-sensei," mumbled Hamadi. "Did anyone else feel that? Anyone? I got the feeling that she was going to turn her into cinders!" Hamadi then realized he was talking to himself and decided to finish up his plate of food quietly.

"Oh yes!" chirped Chizo. She turned to everyone else. "I felt it. I felt the power of Mahoro, Warrior Chef! Tomorrow is going to be a really fabulous day. Cooking. Watching Mahoro cook. Watching Mahoro cooking and putting everyone else to shame! And the food! All that marvelous food!"

Chizo started to circulate about the room, trying to get the rest of the people as jazzed as she was. "And don't you guys worry about getting in. I have special seats on reserve for us all. This is going to be great and…hey! What happened to all the skate? Where did it go?" Chizo even looked under the plate in case an errant piece was hiding there.

Rin shook her head. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day, indeed."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 351 DAYS.**

End Notes

Sometimes, it isn't until you get started that you realize you have too much.

When I began this particular tale, I had hoped to wrap up all three days of the events in about eight or so pages. I don't think fan fiction chapters should go on beyond that, as it should be fun to read, not a homework assignment. If you do longer, you had best have the chops to make it worthwhile.

But when I already had 12 pages worth and still had not gotten to the third day, I needed to rethink my strategy.

This also blends in to my personal theory of how to handle Mahoro. She has so many days of NOT seeing what goes on, it gives one ample opportunity to fill in those days and give a better accounting of her last 10 months.

Those that are familiar with the series will know that her full operational time was slated at 398 days, but between the major fight with Ryuga (September 23) and the horrific beating at the hands of Dr. Metherius (March 22), plus lesser encounter as with the Crab Robot (July 27), protecting Minawa from the Keepers (December 8) and chasing Suguru and Slash to the edge of Hokkaido (a distance of about 750 miles, approximate date March 1), these all cut into her available energy reserve.

Of course, it was all for naught, when she was destroyed sometime in April.

The dates are, at best, an estimation, but anchored from both the manga and the anime that put July 20th as Day 365. The rest is extrapolation and conjecture, befuddled by the confusion during the End Days. I can get to day 120 with no problem and, the manga confirmed April 2nd as the day President Greg was killed. Then, it's up to you for the rest.

August is actually a rather busy time for Mahoro. It opens on the first with her letter to Vesper, about her days with Suguru and what she is trying to do (along with her first official request for breast augmentation). Then we have this Cooking Shogun segment from the 2nd to the 4th.

The Ghost Hunter incident occurs the night of August 16th, the Ninja Panty Bandit affair concludes the night of the 22nd (manga only), the Summer Fair, where Mahoro dances, is the 26th (although it "officially" begins the afternoon of the 23rd) and Ryuga first appears in town on the 31st.

I also fling in a sleepover with the girls, which happens on August 29th. I might take care of that gap between August 5th and August 15th, but not at the present time.

The real problem is making it seem natural and not kind of activity shoe-horned in. "Let's see, nothing happens between 6/25 and 7/15, let's have her do SOMETHING, anything." (This is kind of funny, as I had a story for June 25th)

There are lots of possibilities, but I do not want it to look like a bad sitcom. "Mahoro buys a car. "(Wait! She's got that snappin' BMW). "Mahoro wins a beauty contest"; "Mahoro and Suguru go to another amusement park and get stuck on the roller coaster, hanging upside down for several hours."

Another concern is how little I really know of Japanese Culture. In the manga, there is an episode where she has to go to this prestigious Vesper Academy to find two bombs. She discovers one of them through a pronunciation shift. I, hopelessly American, would not understand this for them, whether you say "juujika" or "juuji ka", so I have to stick with "safe" areas for her tales.

It presents a challenge, so that means, research, research, research.

Some of you might notice that I grabbed the name "Hattori Hanzo" for the Cooking Shogun. The sharp-eyed will recognize that from "Kill Bill." It's just a good name, and the cable has been showing it a lot recently. If you are equally aware, you also picked up on Shikamori, who is the male protagonist in the anime, "Maburaho".


	5. Chapter 5, Trial By Cookfire

"Trial by Cookfire"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 3rd

The following day was bright and clear, not too hot as of yet, but that was soon to change. Mahoro and Suguru walked to the auditorium, Mahoro carrying a domed tray, which she had polished up the night before. Suguru had to walk behind her, as it really reflected the sunlight off of it.

Mahoro was lost in thought, but she didn't have her 'bo' expression on. She was fairly floating down the street, singing one of her songs." I have a little dish, filled with tasty food, and if you eat it all up, I'll have some more for you."

"It smells so tasty, Mahoro. What did you finally decide to make?" Suguru closed his eyes and trailed after her, lost in the marvelous aroma.

"It's just Pork Curry with croquettes."

"Uh, do you think that will be enough to impress the judges?"

"Sometimes the simplest dishes work the best. If you get too involved with meals, you miss what the goal of all this is: a tasty meal that brings out the best of the food. Besides, since there are no cooking facilities set up at the auditorium, it can't get too complicated. Remember that first meal I made for you at the house?"

Suguru closed his eyes. "Oh, yes, it was, uh…seaweed miso soup and uh..pickled cucumber slices and…uh….something else, but it was all very delicious." Mahoro giggled.

"And all very simple. It just takes dedication to do the job right."

"How many people do you think will show up for this? I mean, do we have that many hidden chefs in town?" Suguru was having a hard time keeping up with Mahoro, as she did have a rather brisk pace.

"That would be hard to say, as you never know what people think inside. I was surprised when Shikijo-sensei said she would enter."

Suguru looked about, trying to find something that wasn't there. "Have you seen any cicadas? I mean, I hear this buzzing sound, but I don't see any of them."

It's just that cicadas are very secretive, you may not see…" Mahoro gasped as they turned the corner.

The buzzing sound was actually the sheer amount of people who turned out for this event. The streets around the auditorium were jammed, as the police tried to shoo away the cars. Wannabe chefs, gawkers, curious on-lookers and other interested parties clogged the front of the building, making it hard for the police to keep things under control. Numerous security staff was trying to clear a way for those who were submitting dishes to get into the facility.

Suguru took in all in slowly. "I haven't seen this many people out all at once since…forever!"

As they neared the auditorium, a man spoke into a bull horn. "If you have a dish to submit, please go to the person in the blue apron. We only want to see those people who are submitting dishes."

"Well, this is where I have to let you go, Mahoro. It's all up to you now," Suguru told her.

Mahoro looked unhappy for a moment. "It would be nice if you could come along with me."

"Oh, that's OK; I might jinx you or something." Just then, Chizo came up to them.

"It's about time you two got here. Judging starts shortly and I don't want to miss a moment of it. You come with me, Suguru-san. I have those special tickets so we can all get inside to see the show. Good luck, Mahoro, not that you need it." Chizo took Suguru by the hand and led him away. As Mahoro watched, a guard came up to her.

"Ah, another entrant. Please follow that man," he said pointing to the person in a blue apron, who promptly took Mahoro into the facility.

Inside, it was a hive of activity. Mahoro had never seen so many dishes laid out. How can they sample so many dishes and know which one is the best? she thought. She placed her entry down on a table and was given a numbered card, 146. Then she was escorted to an area where all the other entrants sat.

The tables were laid out with dish after dish, and the number tag under each bowl, plate or covered item. There were just so many tables, covering the floor of the auditorium. The seating was filled to capacity, as people tried to take it all in.

She saw the greengrocer, the fish merchant, the man who ran the noodle shop. Shamelessly flirting with one of the judges was Shikijo. Looking over the dishes, Mahoro was amazed at what she saw and felt perhaps she wasn't fancy enough. She saw a roast suckling pig, something using a marlin, a rack of lamb. Some people went all out, she mused.

On stage, a moderator spoke into a microphone. "If I could have everyone's attention, please. In a moment, the Cooking Shogun will be out to preside over this preliminary cook-off. At that time, the entrants will be asked to stand by their meals and answer any questions that the Shogun or the judges may have of you.

"At the end of this day, five will be chosen to do battle the following day with a theme that the Shogun will select. Although we are still receiving entrants, there is close to 300 submissions. We will have a series of pre-judges going out and checking the dishes once we meet the deadline and start that round.

"When they make their decisions, the Pool of 30 will be presented to the Shogun, who will pick the Final Five. You will also notice a variety of people with video cameras. This is part of the production crew so they can record the events for later insertion into the show. Just give them the space that they need and they will try not to be too annoying. And now, here he is, the Cooking Shogun!"

The auditorium erupted in applause as the curtains parted and Hattori Hanzo strode out. Wearing traditional Shogun garb, he was not as tall as Mahoro had thought, but he did have both a regal bearing and a strong presence. He made his way to a throne and sat down. One of his aides brought the microphone. He spoke in a firm, solid voice.

"Chefs, to your creations!"

The area was cleared out as all went to their dishes. Mahoro got a glimpse of Shikijo. At least she was a couple of tables over and wouldn't be bothering her. When everyone was in position, the Shogun spoke again.

"Let the judging begin!"

A series of judges, dressed in samurai outfits and chef hats, began to go down the tables, sampling the food. Mahoro was halfway down one side, so it would be a few minutes before the judge came to her. The person at 147 spoke to her.

"This is my third time doing this. He did this in Yokohama three years ago and at Otsuki five years ago. I didn't make it those times, but I feel my Beef Surprise will get me in. Third times the charm, right?"

"It is sometimes very difficult to understand what they look for, but I believe that a simple dish done well can be better than a grand meal done badly," offered Mahoro.

"Ahhh, but the food is not enough, presentation is a strong factor as well. It doesn't matter how delicious the food is, should it be showcased poorly, that can lose points for you. You have to create in the mind of the diner that the food is as palatable as it looks."

Up in the loge, Chizo had a pair of binoculars and was feverishly scanning the room. "I wonder how they did up that octopus dish? It can be so tricky. Lots of Miso soups. I heard that someone was actually going to try a fugu sushi. That is a feat in and of itself."

Hamadi sighed. "This is the boring part, waiting for a decision to be made. It could take hours and hours."

Chizu spoke up. "Not the way these guys work. 10 working judges, 30 dishes per judge, not more than two minutes a dish, they are done in an hour, 90 minutes at the most. And they have a pretty good assumption who or what they want while they are sampling. They go back stage and confer, perhaps another 15 minutes or so.

"See that judge on Table Two?" Chizo got everyone's attention and pointed to a painfully tall and skinny judge, who looked as though a mere gust of wind could knock him over. "That is Kenji Yamaguchi, known as 'Yummy,' as everything is so yummy to him.

"Judge Seven is Shogi Sahahari; he has a weakness for fish soups. Judge Three is Iishii Mitsubishi. No relation. She talks and talks and talks. Very cagy, that one. Where is Mahoro's judge? I just hope it isn't….oh, no. it IS!" Chizo took down the binoculars.

"Who?" everyone asked.

"Yuudai! "

"That's a rather harsh assessment, don't you think, Chizo?" asked Rin.

"No, it's Yuudai. He only goes by the one name as had a style that is unlike…That is the second dish he did not sample. Wait, is that Kobe beef he passed over? There was a rumor that he was removed from the staff last year for his overly hard-nosed approach. He once flunked his entire table." Everyone crowded around to watch the judge in action

Mahoro also noticed how oddly her judge acted. Despite lots of note taking, he wasn't doing a lot of sampling. In fact, he didn't do any sampling. How can you tell how it tastes if you don't taste it? Mahoro looked over to see Shikijo. She was wearing an outfit that was a bit too short in the skirt and a bit too tight in the blouse. It was almost shameful how she was presenting herself. Hmmmm. 'Presentation is a strong factor as well.'

She imagined what Shikijo-sensei was talking about. "I find that the more succulent the breast is, the more pleasing it is to the palette. You want to have something firm in your mouth but not so hard that you cannot enjoy it, yet not so thin that it just fades away, leaving no memory of it."

Lost in thought, Mahoro barely noticed the judge coming up to her. She uncovered the dish as a wave of fragrance engulfed the table. He looked at the dish for a moment and headed off to the next person. He then looked at his dish and moved on. Number 147 sagged. "This is not good at all." Mahoro slowly put the dome back over the food. She turned to see the cameraman taping her reaction to it all.

In the loge, Chizo shuddered. "He…he never even took a bite of it. This is not good, not good at all!" She peered intently at the judge as he circled the table. She was surprised when he did stop and sampled a teriyaki chicken dish, but only to look at it closer, not to eat it. "What is wrong with that guy?"

Mahoro did turn around to watch the judge. Everyone on the table was watching the judge with great interest. He finished his circuit of the table and walked off, disappearing back stage. The rest of the judges were still in the thick of things. Mahoro looked at the clock. He took all of 17 minutes. Mahoro stared at the other tables. Some of the judges were talking with the chefs and scribbling down notes. The judge at Table 3 was only to her third chef.

Several minutes passed. Then, there was a commotion as their judge came back out. He was wearing a bib and was carrying a bottle of water. He also had two holsters at his side, one filled with chopsticks, the other empty. At the first chef of the table, he opened up a fresh pair of chopsticks and sampled the food. The used chopsticks were now placed in the empty holster. He took a swig of water from the bottle and went on down the line. The routine was the same: fresh chopsticks, sample, discard, water, and move on.

The judge got to Mahoro and looked at her. She lifted the dome to allow the aromas to waft out. She did notice that everyone else at the table leaned in to catch a whiff. The judge took a quick sample and left.

He spoke to no one as he did this, and the sampling was done in less than 12 minutes. Chizo had the binoculars glued to her face. "Well, it is a completely different style. Don't be intimidated, Mahoro, have faith!" When the judge finished his thirty, he, again, left the floor and headed back stage. Mahoro noticed that the other judges were still on the floor, just finishing up, even Judge Three. Soon, all the judges left the floor, leaving behind a general hubbub, as everyone spoke with each other.

"This is the hardest part. It's the waiting that gets to me," said 147. "You never know what it is they are discussing back there. At least they are quick about it; no need to drag it out endlessly. One good sign is that they come back out for one more sample. That means that you are in contention for…wait!" 147 looked over Mahoro to the backstage area.

Their judge came back out and did a quick circle of the table, focusing on the dishes, and went in back again. "That was odd," said 147.

"That was odd," muttered Chizo. Everyone else was in extreme boredom.

"When are we gonna eat?" cried Kawahara, his stomach making an obscene gurgling noise.

"As soon as they make the pronouncement," said Chizo.

"I may not live that long!" responded Hamadi, flopping dead in his seat. "I…need…FOOD!"

Mahoro looked over at Shikijo, who stuck her tongue out at her. She would not mind losing, but not to…her! She would never hear the end of it. Time dragged and dragged and dragged, as though the clock's hands had been nailed to its face.

There was a stir in the crowd as they noticed the activity on the stage. Chizo stood up. "It's decision time!"

The judges came out and lined up on either side of Hanzo. One judge came from the back and handed paperwork to the Shogun, who stood up and went to the microphone. "To all the chefs here, you have done well. There is nothing to feel badly about. I commend you in your efforts and your commitment. However…" He paused for dramatic effect. "…we can only take 30 to go to the next round. When you hear your number called, please raise your hand." He read off the numbers.

"009…022…038…"

Suddenly, Shikijo broke out in whoops and hollering. "Yes, yes, yesyesyes! My breasts are the best!" The cameraman was all over her as she went out of control.

Suguru looked down at her. "Well, she does have that right."

Shikijo continued her victory dance as the Shogun read off more numbers. "…056…071…088…101…109…114…133…141…"

Mahoro perked up. They were close.

"…149…159…162…"

Mahoro drooped. It just wasn't good enough. Meanwhile, in the loge, Chizo detonated. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That isn't right!" She began pulling her hair. Everyone around her recoiled in shock to her reaction. The Shogun continued, unperturbed by the audience reaction or other chattings.

"…177…184…191…212…225…237…243…254…269…270…271…282…293…298…and 304. If your number has been called, please stay at your station. For the rest of you, we thank you deeply." He gave a great bow to all.

Number 147 turned to Mahoro. "Don't feel so badly. These things happen." Mahoro turned to her friends in the loge and waved to them. As she went to take her dish, the Shogun's voice was heard.

"All chefs, please hold. Please hold. We have miscounted our tabulations. We need for Chef 146 to remain as well. Please, again, Chef 146 to remain." Chizo let out a big whoop while Shikijo fumed. One of the people in the blue aprons came up to her table and escorted those three from there to the main stage.

"I hope you do well," Number 147 called out.

"Thank you. I hope that you will succeed in all that you do." As she approached the stage itself, she passed by the judges and made eye contact with Yuudai. He said nothing but gave her a thumbs up. Mahoro slightly bowed as she walked by.

On the Main Stage, a long table was set up, each chef now placed behind their dish. The Shogun came up and looked at each and every offering. Shikijo is nine spots away from me, thought Mahoro, so at least there would be no tormenting from her.

When the Shogun got to Shikijo, she turned up the charm and lust. Wiggling and squirming, she certainly got the Shogun's attention. After the initial pass-through, he started at the other end and took a sample of the dishes. There was no betrayal of his feelings or reactions on this as he silently headed down the line, taking a little bite of each. When he had finished with 009, the Shogun delicately wiped his mouth and went back to the microphone to speak.

He held for a moment, as he looked at a piece of paper and did some writing on it. He was very serious as he looked back over to the Pool of 30 while he made his final thoughts on things. The tension could be felt throughout the convention center, as Hanzo was very deliberate in everything he was doing. He looked up and began to speak.

"I have taken into consideration that many of you made warm dishes and that by the time it gets to me, it may not be at its best. But that is the mark of a good chef, that the food always tastes marvelous, despite external condition. Of the five of you that will be selected today, you will come back here tomorrow for the contest itself. For the rest of you, there is the honor of getting this far.

"I have made my decision." A hush descended on the auditorium as all eyes and cameras were focused upon him.

"The following five finalists are…293…114…009…146…and…038." There was a great roar and riotous applause throughout the auditorium. Shikijo clenched her fists in victory. Pictures were taken as they all gathered around the Shogun for a group photo opportunity.

"Chizo stood up and cheered wildly. "This is great. Now, when can we eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?"

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 350 DAYS**

End Notes

Some of you may notice that I have given these tales a "T" rating, when my debated about giving my first story a K+. That boils down to Shikijo.

She is a 25-year old, single, school teacher, who has a warm personality, a slight drinking problem and large breasts. She has a condition known as the "Shotaro Complex" where she fixates on prepubescent or underage boys. She is always trying to help Suguru on "the road to manhood" and some of her fantasies are rather funny, but always erotic.

In order to showcase Shikijo properly, I have to be able to use the caliber of language that best reveals her true nature, thus the rating.

Note that the original manga is rated "OT" (Older Teen, Age 16+) as they are far more explicit in things that the anime can only partially showcase. I mean, some of her fantasies get rather steamy and in the Valentine's episode, she gives Suguru a chocolate treat, which is a mold of her fabulous bust line, life size!

In reading the manga, you realize that Mahoro and Shikijo are in vicious competition, from the very first time they meet (that is on the rooftop when Mahoro forgot to put the dessert in Suguru's bento and she brings it by for him) and is really put into motion with the "investigation" of her at the house, one reason Shikijo drops in all the time.

And if we list the confrontations they have had:

Shikijo was the Dance Maiden at the Summer Festival (potentially) the year before.

Shikijo out-guns Mahoro at one of the booths at the Summer Festival

She was the Dark Arts Festival winner for two years in a row.

At the New Year's Celebration, they challenge each other constantly at the booths.

At Christmas, she gives the "better" present to Suguru of her warm undergarments.

She tries to out-sauna Mahoro at the baths the first time Mahoro goes.

Mahoro out-eats her at Aoshima Flats, the local noodle shop, where Shikijo was champion, but recently bested by Mahoro.

With the ever-escalation concern about the bustline, best seen in the Crab Robot episode where the suit Shikijo wears (or hardly wears) is like, "WOW!"

The infamous Pi Plus Alpha machine where Shikijo truly out-points Mahoro.

So, a few more of my episodes (beyond this one) are also going to be "T", just so I can examine aspects of Mahoro's personality and mindset more freely.

As to the show itself, part of this is based off of my experience with the Antiques Roadshow. They came to my neck of the woods in 1997 and it was an absolute zoo and it went on for all day. I had to take some liberties with my tale, as food is not going to be as durable as a Civil War-era chamber pot, and certainly, when the word gets out about this caliber of event (which it would) you would draw from the surrounding area, not just your city.

But I don't think I want to have 3000 people showing up for all this, as it would make a more chaotic scene even more so. Admittedly, where this little town is located is (possibly) only 30 km southwest of Yokohama, so it would naturally draw from there, and with Tokyo not all that distant, well, you see the logistical problem that ensues.

And how "little" is this place? In the Summer TV Special, we have a panorama of Hiryu, it looks absolutely vast, perhaps as big as San Francisco and not just a suburb (like a Daly City or a Sausalito). Yet, in the Dark Arts Festival, it gives the impression of a much smaller city, where things are more cozy and compact.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is to ignore the problem and forge ahead.


	6. Chapter 6, The First Rule of Cooking

"The First Rule of Cooking"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 4th

Another brilliant August day lay outside the Misato residence, but inside, it was all business and no nonsense.

Chizo had brought over a few of her "Cooking Shogun" tapes for Mahoro to watch, so she could get a flavor as to how the show went. "Now, they are not expecting a lot of acting prowess from you. These guys you see are professionals, so anything that you can do to show some style and flair would be best. Remember, this is television and they want to see action, so, don't just stir your sauce, but STIR your sauce, like you are rowing a boat for dear life!" Chizo used an imaginary spoon to whip something into a frenetic state.

Mahoro listened to Chizo, but watched the action unfold before her on the set. The chefs were slicing and dicing with lots of action and presentation. "You can get too much air into a sauce and it affects how well it cooks," Mahoro commented. "That's not necessarily excellent cooking."

"But it's excellent television!" Chizo retorted. The scene showed one chef flipping vegetables in a pan, the food making huge loops in the air, then being caught back in the pan without a miss. There was even a slow motion replay of it. "Think of this as a sporting event, but instead of a baseball, it's a meatball!"

Suguru was transfixed by the action as well, as flames dancing about the pan as it banged against the cook top. "So, what are you going to be making, Mahoro?"

"We were informed that we needed to come up with a tuna recipe, and that we had to bring our own spices and supplies, as well as whatever pots and pans we require. Shogun Hanzo felt it was important that we are comfortable with the equipment that we use, rather than foreign items that may not work as we need them to."

Chizo looked over a page of the newspaper she was holding. "I am a bit concerned about your competition. Shikijo is a wily competitor and what she may lack in culinary skills, she makes up for in presentation. Kenji Shuboya works out of the local garage, so his passion for cooking may lift him high. He is certainly a dark horse.

"Then, there is Haiji Tanaka. He is the food critic for the local paper. If anyone is going to be troublesome, it is that one. He knows what doesn't work in food, so he will go all out. And this Kirika Misoka, who bills herself as an 'ordinary housewife'. Hah! I bet a tigress hides amongst those bamboo stalks!"

"But the Shogun said this was a friendly competition," said Mahoro.

"There is no such thing as 'friendly' in cooking. Look!" She pointed to the TV. "Does that look 'friendly' to you?"

Two chefs were in direct competition, moving between stove and oven, not only keeping an eye on their creations, but an eye on each other, picking up the pace, moving slightly faster than the other, back and forth.

"Your cooking skills are beyond reproach, but even the best chefs can crack up from the pressure, from the cameras, from the clock, from the competition and from yourself. You are going to do battle against creatures that want to render you limb from limb, who will show no mercy. I need to know that you will show no fear, that you will not collapse from the intensity or the pressure, that you will meet them, toe to toe, and emerge triumphant!" exhorted Chizo, arms over her head.

Suguru closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. If only Chizo knew. Mahoro made half a grin. "That is something you never have to worry about." Just then, the clock chimed.

"Oh, look at the time. I need to get to the auditorium," said Mahoro. "We are having a little meeting at 1 o'clock, prior to taping at 3 o'clock. They are giving last-minute instructions and what is expected of us. And I need to bring all my cookware with me."

She pointed to three boxes with items. "We'll help," said Suguru. "We'll all help."

The walk to the auditorium was pleasant enough, as Chizo nattered on about recipes and strategies. Mahoro sang one of her songs. "What a lovely piece of tuna, so firm and yet so soft, and covered with the spices, makes a tasty time for all."

As they reached the auditorium, she went up to one of the guards out front. "I am here for the contest. Mahoro Ando." The guard checked a clipboard.

"Ah, yes. Your friends can help you in with the items, but they will have to leave when done." He escorted them in. The facility had been transformed. In a wide semi-circle were five identical chef zones: cook top, oven and kitchen area. Both pedestal and portable camera were set about, with miles and miles of cable snaking its way to the production van at the side of the facility.

They were directed to drop off the items at the cook station to the far left. "You will be afforded the opportunity to set up as you like a bit later; there is still the pre-show meeting." The person looked at their clipboard, making some notations.

"You'll do great, Mahoro! See you in the gallery!" Chizo took Suguru and they left while Mahoro was taken back stage to the Green Room. In that room, Mahoro saw three of her competitors. She easily recognized Shikijo, as well as Shuboya and Tanaka. The 'tigress' was missing. Mahoro bowed to everyone. "I am glad to meet you all." Just as Mahoro sat down, Misoka came in, panting.

"Am I….late?" She was directed to one of the chairs.

"No, you're just in time." Coming up behind her was a tall man with a severe haircut. "Good day, all. I am the Director, Aiiko Kabayashi, and I want to inform you as to what will be happening later today. This is going to be a real-time shoot, which means once the contest starts, we will not stop taping, short of a genuine mishap. You will have 60 minutes to cook up your meal and have it presented to the judges. If you miss the deadline, you're eliminated, so keep an eye on the clock."

Shikijo raised her hand. "Does that mean we are finished cooking in 60 minutes, or it is right in front of the judges in 60 minutes?"

"The cooking of the food, including the presentation on the plate, is to be accomplished in the 60 minute allotment. Transportation of the food to the judges is not part of that time frame. We do not want you to put in all this effort in cooking, only to trip and fall at the last few steps. There will be a line judge to determine when you are finished." Tanaka was busily scribbling down notes to himself.

The director continued. "There will also be no second chances. If you burn or otherwise ruin your tuna, you must forge on as best as you can. If at any time, you feel that you cannot continue, you take off your chef's hat…" He gestured with a phantom hat. "…and you will be escorted from the field. Any additional questions?"

"What about poaching?" asked Shuboya.

"We will have the line judges making certain that there is no kind of sabotage. You saw the mahi mahi episode, right?" Kenji nodded as the director put a hand over one eye. "Yeah, it seems everyone did. If there is poaching of any caliber, you will be eliminated. At the end, when the tasting is done and critiques are given, the winner will be announced at that time."

A tapping came at the door. The all turned about to see the harried talent coordinator. "It's time for the fitting," she panted out.

"Ahh, yes. Everyone's chef outfit. OK, let's go, people." He began to shoo them out.

Shikijo fairly bounded from her seat. "I'll look so stunning in those outfits. I wonder if they have purple," she sneered at Mahoro as she passed by. Mahoro was last to leave and spoke to the director.

"I was wondering if I could keep my maid uniform on instead, sir."

"Hmmmm………….." The director looked at her. "Hanzo likes people to be in the chef outfit. I will speak to him on this. Since we will fit you last, you may go out and set up your stove area."

As Mahoro went to prepare, loads of thoughts swirled about her head. She concentrated mostly on the tuna recipe she would be doing. There would be no margin for error, as the entire dish took 55 minutes to prepare and cook: Ahi Tuna with Curried Summer Squash, Chayote Slaw, and Coconut Cream. Her ingredients were placed in the small fridge underneath, the pots were arranged as she needed them to be and her cutlery was laid out with the intensity of a surgeon, readying for an operation.

She looked out into the auditorium. It was quiet now, but soon, it would be filled with people and excitement. A few technicians were milling about, tending to matters, but, for the most part, it was her and the silence. Perhaps this was not as dangerous as battling enemy androids, but it was going to be a thrilling time. Once everything was organized to her liking, she went backstage.

As she passed near the green room door, she heard voices. It was Tanaka and Misoka speaking. "Who does this Mahoro person think she is? Trying to upstage us by keeping her maid outfit on?" Misoka was very angry.

"Well," sniffed Tanaka, "she's just a maid, so what do you really expect? All the maids I ever met were clumsy and a disaster in the kitchen. I bet she couldn't even make ice cubes properly, as she keeps losing the recipe."

Mahoro's eyes widened as they both snickered at the joke. Perhaps Chizo was right. This was NOT going to be a friendly competition. She turned about and walked down the hall, away from the door, looking for the dressing room. Lost in thought, she ran right into Shogun Hanzo.

"Oooof! Oh, forgive me, I wasn't really looking where I was going, Hanzo-sama." She bowed respectfully.

"Ahhh, the maid, who wishes to remain a maid. Please, come with me." She followed behind him as they went to the costume room. There, she saw all caliber of chef outfits in a panoply of colors. She looked on in amazement while Hanzo spoke. "I certainly understand the need for comfort while cooking, but you will not begrudge me having a certain look to my show."

"Of course not, but I did feel I had to at least ask." As Mahoro looked on, Hanzo handed her a brilliant red outfit.

"Would you please try this one on?" He motioned towards a screen where Mahoro could change. In a few minutes, she was in the uniform, a rather form-fitting outfit. She stepped out so Hanzo could look. He already was holding a gold one and a darker blue one. "Hmmm. Hmmm. Try these as well, please?"

Mahoro gave them both a try-out. Hanzo mulled over all of it. "People have a certain image as to what a chef looks like, and I like to tap into that notion. I do not like to make exceptions, as it can be used against you in the future." Hanzo stood up and began to walk about Mahoro, still pondering, pulling at his chin. "Please put your uniform back on for me."

"I mean, I do not wish to cause a problem for you, but I just feel more comfortable in my maid uniform," she remarked, as she got dressed. When finished, she presented herself to him and was a bit shocked to see the director there as well.

"We have done a couple of shows where they were not dressed as chefs," reminded the director. "There was the beach show from four years ago, the country show from two years ago and the Halloween show from last year."

"True, but they were ALL in the same garb. I cannot recall a lone person out of place."

The director turned to him. "Hattori, it is your show, but I vote for the maid. She looks absolutely cute in it and really, what's the harm? These are the regional shows, after all. Why not offer the option to the rest? I will guarantee you the men will go for the outfits, as well as that Shikijo. Did you see her yet? WOW!" The director waved his hand in front of him, as if he was fanning himself from the heat.

Hanzo banged his fist on the table and they both jumped. "Then it is settled!" He stood up and grasped Mahoro by the shoulders firmly. Mahoro was taken aback by his demonstrative nature. "You may keep your maid uniform. But…you wear the chef hat!"

"Hai! That will be done!" she said. Hanzo turned to the director, thrusting his finger at him, but into the air.

"Offer the outfit change to the others!" Hanzo then strode out. Mahoro was a bit perplexed.

"Is…is he angry?" she asked of the director.

He shook his head 'no' and smiled. "I cannot begin to tell you how happy he is with all this. He just loves it." Then, the talent coordinator came in, looking more frazzled.

"Thank goodness I found you. It's time for a run through. Please follow me." As she followed behind, they went to an area behind the stage, where the rest of them were waiting.

"You will all be gathered here about five minutes before we start. Some of you will be over there with my aide." She pointed to the other side of the stage, where an intern waved at them. "What will happen is that you will go to the top of the stairs and stand on the platform as they introduce you. When they give your name, you will bow, hold for a moment and go to your station. The order is…" She looked at her clipboard. "…Saori will go first from the right and take the Workstation in the middle, number Three." Shikijo gave herself a small thumbs up.

"From the left side, Haiji will go to Workstation Two. From the right, Kenji goes to Workstation Four. From the left, Kirika goes to Workstation One and Mahoro from the right to Workstation Five. So please line up and we do a couple of run-throughs." She did the introductions.

"Stand up on the platform. Blah blah blah, our first chef is Saori Shikijo." Shikijo hit her marks perfectly, and then went to her station. They ran the procedure a few times, and Mahoro was feeling a bit giddy at all this. Kind of like when the Crab Robot made its appearance, although there was no fear of being destroyed.

"That is good, really good, everyone." The coordinator then came out to face them, standing near Shikijo. "When you get to your workstation, I want you to face the crowd. Hanzo will make his appearance behind on the stage and be greeted by a gong, at which point you will turn around to face him. He will give some instructions and the aides will bring down the tuna to this spot here, where you see this green tablecloth. When Hanzo says 'Chefs…you may now begin', that starts the clock and you will go to select your tuna. The rest is up to you."

"The commentators are going to be Bede and Fode, just they have been for the last five years. The audience, and you, will be able to hear their comments, but, I guarantee you that you will be so intent on what you have to do, there is an excellent chance you will never hear a single word they say."

She pointed into the auditorium. "We will have three pedestal cameras for overall shots, two perched cameras and six roving cameras. The roving cameras know what to do and should not get in your way. However, if you feel that they are getting too close, they are to respond to this gesture." She put out her arm, palm up, as though she was signaling stop, then pushed her arm out.

"They will back up. There is a jumbo screen, so the audience can see the action. You can take a moment to look, but, don't take too long, as you only have 60 minutes to complete everything. Again, at any time that you feel that you cannot go on, you are to remove your hat and you will be escorted from the area. When you are finished cooking, you hold your arms out to the side to indicate you are done and a judge will place a blue flag at your station. Also, Hanzo has been known to come around and observe, so don't get too nervous if he does. That's about it. Any questions?" She looked them all over. No one could think of anything to ask.

She looked at her watch. "We have about 45 minutes to go until the show starts. They are on the verge of letting the audience in, so we are going backstage for costume change, make-up and final preparation. This would be the only time you have to get something in you, if you are hungry. Please follow me."

As they trooped out, the first of the audience could be heard coming in. Backstage, it was a whirlwind of activity, as they were shuttled about. One person went to each station, so Shikijo went in for her costume, Mahoro went to make-up, Tanaka had some solo publicity shots taken, Misoka had the interview with the newspaper and a cooking magazine spoke with Tanaka.

In make-up, they put the bib on Mahoro and she was taken care of. "My, you have such lovely skin, "remarked the technician. "What I am putting on is some foundation to cut down on any skin reflection or light bounce, plus to help reduce sweating, although you are going to sweat. Between the lights and the action, people get drenched." When she was finished, her chef hat was put on, fastened so it would not come off.

"Hopefully, you will not lose this. I have made an accommodation on your hat for your long hair. I can see why Hanzo wanted to keep you in your maid outfit and…"

There was a thumping at the door. Shikijo was there, looking absolutely stunning in her gold outfit. "Hey, some of us need to be taken care of, Mahoro, not that I really need it. A stunning beauty like me needs only a little boost." The technician smiled and shrugged.

"I am done with you, so it's off to the next station." Mahoro got up to leave, but as she passed Shikijo, she commented. "I will bury you. You are done, Mahoro."

Mahoro went to the interview portion, but she was a bit early, as Shuboya was finishing up. "I got tired of eating the same foods done in the same way, so I decided to take some cooking classes to make things better. My wife commented that I am up to my elbows in grease all day long, and I had best know the difference between cooking grease and axle grease. The cars may run better, but my food is going to taste awful."

Mahoro made a small laugh at the joke. Shuboya looked up. "I guess it's time for me to go to make-up, costume? They have had us jumping all day long." He stood up and shook hands with the interview, then headed out. He stopped to speak to Mahoro for a moment. "Weren't we supposed to get some time to ourselves? Sheesh!"

The interview with the paper was a bit problematic. She retold the same story she had given to the Investigation Team in June, but she was concerned that the paper may try to find the family that didn't really exist. The questions were fairly simple: what did she do for a living, how she got involved in cooking, what was her best recipe. Then, when all of that was done for everyone, and all of the stations were attended to, there was one more round of publicity photos snapped with Hanzo as well.

Despite what was said, there was actually very little time to be had for themselves until about 10 minutes to go, when they all ended up in the green room. Everyone was in their chef clothes, except Mahoro, still in her maid outfit.

There were some basic food items offered but people merely picked at it. Tanaka was tearing into a pastry and Misoka was gurgling down water. Mahoro was having a piece of fruit. She had growled a few times, so she felt it was best to have a little something inside her than to let all of Hiryu hear her stomach. That would be a great image for everyone to see: the Hungry Chef!

Mahoro seemed the calmest of the lot as she was lost in thought. Misoka was just panting, having the dazed look of an animal that had been pursued all day long. "I thought raising three boys was a workout," she said, as she had another swig of water from her bottle. "I don't know if I have the stuff to last another hour or so." Tanaka was rather blasé about things.

"This is really nothing for me," he growled. "Deal with an editor-in-chief who's trying to beat a deadline and he wants to know where your article is, as he sticks his finger in your face. That's pressure"

"Yeah?" offered Shikijo. "Try a room filled with middle-school children. It's like holding 30 ping-pong balls underwater all at the same time. They don't care about the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, as they are too busy eying that cute little number in the corner, minds filled with dirty thoughts!"

Shuboya spoke up. "Here's one for you. Telling a customer that the rattle he heard is really his transmission going out on him and he is looking at a 300,000 yen repair job. You have never heard such language; it would make a longshoreman blush!" There was a pause as they slowly looked to Mahoro.

Mahoro was at a loss. She could easily trump their stories. But I can't tell them to take on an army of giant killer androids, bent on your personal destruction, while the city about you is reduced to rubble, she thought. I had better come up with some tale. Before she could speak, the coordinator came in. "Come along, folks, it's show time! Hurry, hurry!"

She started to pull them out. Tanaka wiped off whatever pastry residue was on his face as Shikijo headed out first. At the door, Tanaka and Shuboya stared as Shikijo walked away from them. Shuboya sighed. "That is one rear-end assembly."

Tanaka commented as well. "If she cooks half as well as she walks, we are all going to lose big time."

Misoka pushed past both of them and harrumphed "Men!" and headed down the hall. Mahoro followed as well. The coordinator called back to the guys, who were still standing in the doorway.

"Come on. What's keeping you?" she said, waving them towards her.

"Just sizing up the competition," called out a grinning Sheboya. "Oh, yeah!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

End Notes

This story forced a concept onto me that I call "Extended Compaction." My personal feelings are one story one day. This tale originally represented a three day arc, so there are three different chapters, or days, for it.

However, in writing for the preparation part for the show, the story was getting longer and longer and I did not wish to present a 15- to 20-page story in one sitting. As I have said elsewhere, I do not like a story to go over 10 pages (including my narcissistic comments), as you really have to have the chops to make it work. I want the Joy of Reading, not the Job of Reading.

(Personally, I think I have the chops to make it work, but I also think I pick the six winning lottery numbers every week as well, so it is best to err on the side of caution.)

Extended Compaction is taking two or three chapters to tell a one-day story. You see it in the anime, as the battle with Ryuga (originally occurring on September 23rd) gobbles up three episodes. So, I have a precedent. I debated doing it here, but I did not want to get bogged down in minutiae on absolutely EVERY little detail.

However, as I went along, I realized that huge holes were appearing and the narrative flow was getting choppy. I was running out of "time" to do this properly, so the only course of action was to split it.

Also, it's not like this is a new concept in literature. "An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge" is the grandfather of this approach, basically telling an entire story in about a second of real time. I just am following in those footsteps.

I am not a real fan of these cooking shows, but there is a degree of intensity in them. Some of those folks get really frenetic about their dishes and what few segments I did observe for research purposes, things get pretty wild.

I did NOT bother with "Hell's Kitchen" as that strikes me as a cross between "The Apprentice" and "Survivor". It is less about cooking and more about how much abuse a person can absorb before they take a meat cleaver and hack everyone into bite-sized chunks, preparing them into a lovely shish kabob for the dinner crowd to feast upon.

Oh, what is the first rule of cooking? "Make sure you have everything you need BEFORE you start cooking." There is certainly nothing worse than assuming you have something, so when you are at a critical juncture of the preparation, and you discover you don't have that key ingredient, you are forced to scramble to get it and the meal's success hinges on your improvisational skills with coming up with an acceptable substitute or how fast you can get to the store and back and not have everything coagulate.


	7. Chapter 7, Do Android Maids Dream of Ele

"Do Android Maids Dream of Electric Cooktops?"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 4th

Standing in the area behind the stage, Mahoro felt butterflies in her stomach. This was a rather odd sensation for her. Could she actually be…nervous? The group was split into two: Mahoro was with Shikijo and Shuboya on the near side, while Tanaka and Miyoka went with the other aide to the far side.

A monitor was set up so they could see what was happening. A very energetic Warm-Up director was winding down his part of the pre-show activities

"So, again, lots of applause and cheering. And a reminder about the double gongs. Those will be struck at fifteen-minute intervals, so I would like some cheering to go along with that. This is television and we want the folks at home to have as much fun watching this as you have being here, right? You are also cheering on the competitors as well and it does make them feel good." A tremendous roar greeted him. "That's what I want to hear! So we are going to start shortly. Have fun, folks!" As he left the stage, a wave of applause greeted him.

He came down the stairs on Mahoro's side. "OK, they are set and ready to go. It's all up to you," he said to the coordinator. Then he looked right at Mahoro, pointing at her. "You do well."

The coordinator held up her hand to the chefs. "OK, we are getting final instructions and we will be going momentarily. So relax, have fun and don't forget to smile. And we are going in five…four…three…" She counted out the last two numbers with fingers. A roar filled the hall as the announcer spoke.

"Coming to you from the Hiryu Convention Center, it is…The Cooking Shogun Roadshow!" More cheering was heard. The coordinator leaned into her chefs to whisper.

"We are making time on the tape for the introduction of the show, which will be about a minute or so, then your introductions, and…" She listened on her headpiece, and then motioned Shikijo into position. "Don't forget to smile!" she called after her.

"A school teacher for the Hiritsu #4 Junior High, we have Saori Shikijo!" She went up there and wiggled about, then headed down to her position. The introductions went fast and it was Mahoro's turn. She went up and was momentarily blinded by the lights, but gave a big smile, bowed and went to her station. The roar of the crowd was very invigorating. She felt all kinds of giddy feelings as she stood at her cook station, staring out into the audience. She thought she heard Chizo, cheering wildly, but could not really focus on her position.

Then, the gong was heard and they all turned about to see Hanzo in his seat, looking very regal. "I expect you to do your best. No matter who wins, you have all done well to get to this level." He then stood up as a couple of aides brought down the trays of tuna to the green tablecloth area. "Chefs…you may now begin!"

There was a frantic jump as the rest of them scrambled to get the best pieces of tuna quickly. Mahoro came over and immediately eyed the pieces she wanted. Taking them back to her station, she placed them to one side, turned on her stove and closed her eyes to think. The other chefs were already at it: chopping, slicing, rubbing herbs into it.

Chizo was in the stands, binoculars at hand. "I have never really seen her cook, it this normal for her?" she asked of Suguru.

"No, she usually goes right at it."

The announcers were equally perplexed. "I see that Shikijo is already hard at work, making up a kind of tuna stroganoff and getting those slices really, really thin."

"And Shuboya is trying a cedar plank tuna, which can be tricky with an indoor environment. But Mahoro is just standing there. What do you think this is all about, Bede?"

"Perhaps she is getting into the right frame of mind, Fode. Half of cooking is attitude."

"Well, she shouldn't take too long, as time is a cruel master."

Mahoro's eyes opened up as a grin came to her face. She was ready. Flinging an onion into the air, she withdrew the knife that she wore on her left thigh. Flaring her skirt about, she showed a lot of leg and the garter that held the knife in place to everyone, and then leapt into the air after the onion. With a few deft strokes, the onion practically exploded into slices. She threw the knife down into the cutting board, where it stuck. As she landed, she banged a pan handle so the pan spiraled in the air. She caught the pan with her right hand, scooped the onion out of the air and landed it on the stovetop.

In the production truck, the director was beside himself. "Camera Eight! Tell me you got that. Tell me you got the whole thing."

"I got it, I got it!"

"You stay with her. Ready to take camera two and TAKE two. Camera Ten, I want a reverse angle on Station Five as well. Stick to her like glue. Ready to take Camera four…and TAKE. Camera five, widen out your shot. Camera Seven, give me some audience reaction shots. Camera One, I want you to remain solid on Station Three. The one in the gold outfit is giving us some strong visuals and I do NOT want to miss them! Ready to take camera one. Zoom in a touch more, one. Good and…take one!"

Back at her cook station, Mahoro grabbed the chayote squash and the canary melon and juilenned them in nothing flat, without a hint of error or hesitation. In another small pan, she began to toast up the sesame seeds.

The camera was right there as she chopped away. Bede commented. "I have never seen anyone work so fast with such precision. Ever seen 'The Long Kiss Goodnight'? When Geena Davis makes short work of that carrot in the kitchen? This is even better than that!"

Fode added in. "Look at how thin she gets those slices. Such artistry. That is stunning to see. A chef with no fear of the kitchen."

"And we are not the only ones who are noticing. Three of the other competitors have stopped for a moment to watch the big monitor and see Mahoro in action."

Mahoro picked up her summer squash one by one and peeled them in a near continuous ribbon, laying them to one side until all three were done. She made short work of the garlic cloves and placed them all in a pan to be sweated with the grapeseed oil.

The sesames seeds were taken off and she began her orange reduction; she also got the milk and the cream cooking as well. With that on its way, she turned to the tuna.

She only needed to cook up three meals, but it would not be that hard to do up eight: the original ones for the three judges, one for Hanzo and four more, for her competitors.

First, she started with the poke. Cutting off a few ounces of the ahi, she diced it up, put in the sesame oil and the scallions, plus a pinch of kosher salt. She mixed it about and put it in the fridge to chill. She remembered what Chizo said and gave a little extra vigorous and obvious shaking of the ingredients in the bowl

Chizo was unusually quiet, thought Suguru, as she was absolutely riveted on watching Mahoro.

"This is almost overwhelming. Is she like this at home every night?" she asked.

"Most of the time, it's rather simple meals, so she doesn't go to this level of presentation. I guess she wants to make a good impression."

"I am surprised how well everyone is doing," commented Chizo. "I was right about Misoka, however, as she is bound and determined to do what appears to be a Stuffed Tuna Surprise. She is really keeping up with all of them."

Mahoro's coconut cream was done and placed in the fridge as the first double gong went off. Fifteen minutes were down.

She grabbed all the ingredients for the chayote slaw, mixed those together and placed that in the fridge. She looked up for a moment to Shikijo, frantically working. Despite what Mahoro may have thought of her, she was very good at what she did. She was in full control, as she made sure the tuna was cooking properly. Although it would have been nice to see what the others were doing, time was a definite factor against her.

As the double gong sounded off the halfway mark, a huge cheer came from the crowd. Mahoro turned her attention to the last of the Summer Squash. She stirred in the curry powder, added the lime leaves, the coconut milk and the stock. She did these one at a time, so each was given a chance to blend properly.

She stirred with slightly over-exaggerated movements. It looked like she was doing more, but it was just the way she wanted it to go. Suddenly, there was an outburst next to her. She looked up to see that Shuboya's sleeve was on fire. He looked at it with a bit of incredulity, as if it were a mere annoyance to be aflame. He slapped at the fire.

Reacting quickly, Mahoro grabbed the nearest thing to her, her huge slab of tuna and wrapped it around his forearm to smother the flames. It wasn't that big of a fire, but it could have spread quickly. With the fire out, Shuboya brushed off his sleeve, looked at it, waved thanks to Mahoro and got right back to work. Mahoro returned to her station and kept working.

In the production booth, it was total chaos. The Assistant Director was going berserk. "Should we stop taping? Floor, what's going on out there? Should we stop taping? What if he's really injured? Should we stop taping? A fire? A fire."

The director was more sanguine. "He's waved it off, we'll wave it off. Keep taping. We can tend to his potential wounds later. I mean, he thinks it is nothing."

Mahoro began the simmering of the squash and turned her attention to the tuna. As she began to char it, she put on a pot of water. She did up a full pound of the tuna and got it well on its way. As she removed the squash, she took out the lime leaves and blended it all together. She added a little ginger juice, salt, and ground cumin. As she put it into the fridge to chill, the third double gong went off. It was now time to tend to the tuna.

The charring was going a bit slower that she had hoped, but she felt that was due more to the nature of the wok. The Thai basil leaves went in as well as she kept a good eye on the tuna. Char it too little and there is no flavor; char it too much and it's a burnt mess, and at this late stage, you could not afford any mistake.

As she got the tuna to where she wanted it, she took it out of the wok and let it rest. The whistling teapot told her that part was ready, so she brewed up a pot of green tea for dinner.

A cheer from the crowd went up as Tanaka was first to be finished. A blue flag at his station signaled he was done.

Keeping her eye on the clock, she began by putting it all together. She started by placing the ahi poke in the bowl, followed by the charred tuna, now sliced, and the slaw. She poured in the squash puree and garnished with the coconut cream, and the basil leaves.

She was very aware of Chizo exhorting her to move faster, as time was running out. This was the key moment. It had to go perfect.

Another cheer went up as Shikijo concluded her session. Moment later, Shuboya held his arms out. The blue flags were placed next to them

In the stands, Chizo was beside herself. "She's not gonna make it! She's not gonna to make it! She's not gonna make it!" Miyoka completed her dishes and got her blue flag.

Mahoro began the final presentation. With each dish done to perfection, done exactly as she wanted them to be, they were lidded. She put her arms out to signify she was done. She heard a cheer, but no one came to her. She thrust them out again, and then waggled her arms about. She was not getting a confirmation from the judges. The final gong sounded, ending the competition. Had she been eliminated? There was no flag at her station to signify she had been seen. She turned about to see Hanzo himself behind her, holding up the blue flag high and proud above her. She had beaten the clock.

"Well, that was a close one for Mahoro. Did she actually beat the clock?" commented Fode.

"The replay shows that she gave the completion signal mere ticks before time ran out, even though the judges did not acknowledge. But Hanzo saw that she had," replied Bede.

"This is not the first time Hanzo has had to step in to make a determination. The thing is that he has never been wrong on his decisions, so he has a fine eye for this as well."

After a few moments, the floor director stepped out onto the stage, speaking into a microphone. "And we are clear! OK, for the audience, this is what is happening. This is where we will later insert a commercial break but this also allows the contestants to bring their dishes up and present them to the judges. When they are set and ready to go, the last part of the taping will begin. Again, it will be done straight through, no stopping."

The medical unit came down to look at Shuboya's arm. "This is nothing," he groused. "I've been burned far worse than something this petty. Get hot oil squirted on you!" They bandaged his arm anyway and gave him a clean bill of health

As they started with Miyoka and getting her set up, Hanzo spoke to Mahoro. "I see you have eight dishes set out. We only required three."

"That is true, Hanzo-sama, but four are for the other chefs to eat and one is for you. It has been a long day and I know some of them are really hungry." Hanzo merely nodded before he silently walked away.

Mahoro set up her dishes, and put out her drinks as well. One had a white wine, another had a blush wine but the third had a hot tea. When everyone was in position, the floor director came out again. "OK, we are going to resume taping in a moment, so if I could get you all to cheer, that will be great!"

A huge roar was made as the floor director left the stage and the taping resumed. Bede spoke first. "OK, we're back for the hardest part of the competition, the judging. Our current judges are Jouichurou Wakaki, Editor-in-Chief for the Connoisseur Report; Midori Masaake, Food Critic for the Tokyo Times and Iwao Fumiayomo, author of the book 'Regional Delights of Japan'.

"The first dish is Miyoka's Stuffed Tuna Surprise," followed Fode. "Now, they will be grading in two categories: presentation and flavor. You can get up to six points per judge in each category. The points are added together for the final results, so you can get a maximum of 36 points."

"That's right, but only two chefs have ever gotten that perfect score, one being Hanzo himself in a blind tasting."

Each judge lifted the lid to look at the food. Putting the lid aside each one took a small bite of the meal, really analyzing every part of it. The second judge spoke. "This is a dish where there's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing right about it. I feel that it just misses on a lot of areas. A few little tweaks here and there and this could be a spectacular dish, instead of a better than average one."

Miyoka was crestfallen as her numbers came up: 14.8 overall for presentation, 14.1 overall for flavor. Total points: 28.9

Next came Tanaka and his Napoleon of Tuna Tartare. Judge One spoke. "This is one of those dishes where you have to be absolutely fearless with it. It is already a hard dish to make, much less make well and I at least applaud the bravery in deciding to do it. Now, it doesn't fully succeed, but it succeeds well enough." 16.0 for presentation, 15.8 for flavor, giving him 31.8.

Shikijo's Tuna Stroganoff came up. Judge Two spoke. "Cooking is also about taking chances and doing something different. Quite honestly, I had low expectations for this to succeed. Somehow, I was made a believer. I would never have thought to do something like this, and I would like to see the recipe to try it on my own." Shikijo smiled broadly as her totals came up: 16.9 for presentation, getting one perfect 6 in the process, and a 17.1 for the flavor. Her 34.0 gave her the current lead.

Shikijo could not stop grinning. Mahoro thought, if she gets any more puffed up with herself, she is going to burst out of her outfit and Shikijo would really like that to happen.

Next came Shuboya. Judge One spoke again. "I personally have a problem with wood flavoring in foods. I want to be able to taste the food enhanced by the wood, but not be overwhelmed by the wood. I know some people really like that outdoorsy flavoring, but not everyone does. My marks reflect that."

Judge Two responded. "Well, I am one that likes a good wood back taste and I feel that this chef succeed for my palate. Yes, I will agree that not everyone cares for the wood, just like not everyone likes the big butter taste in chardonnay. I, at least, acknowledge the effort." The final totals were 16.7 for presentation, 15.4 for flavor, so he fell short at 32.1.

Then it was Mahoro's turn. The judges took off the lids and were visibly impressed with the presentation. One even did an obvious sniff of the aroma. Judge Three took his bite. He began to blink rapidly, and then he dropped his chopsticks as he rose up, gasping for breath. Everyone looked over to him as he made gurgling noises, and then crashed to the floor, passing out.

Two aides rushed to his assistance as Hanzo came over to try and help. The other judges turned to watch as they revived Judge Three. The medical staff came over to render some assistance, snapping an ammonia capsule under his nose. The judge roused himself to alertness, but was still badly dazed by everything.

The doctor spoke. "Are you OK?" he moved his finger back and forth in front of the judge to see him track it with his eyes.

"I'm fine. What happened, though?"

"You passed out. Anything wrong?"

He was given some water to drink. "Wrong? That has got to be the finest bit of tuna I have EVER eaten. EVER! I was just overwhelmed by it all." Everyone stared on in silence. In the house, Chizo was beside herself.

"I knew that. I already knew that!" She cheered and jumped up and down, her cries heard throughout the center.

The other two judges had a bite, and then stared at one another. They motioned Hanzo to come over. He saw the domed dish waiting for him. He opened it up and looked at it, then took a bite himself. Everyone held their breath in anticipation as they awaited his assessment of it. Hanzo came over to Mahoro, stared at her, and slowly took off his chef hat. Everyone gasped.

"What's happening?" asked Suguru, as Chizo stood up.

"Hanzo took off his hat! A Head Chef does not take off his hat unless to acknowledge that they are in the presence of a superior chef, and Hanzo NEVER takes off his hat."

The production booth was madness. "Camera Six, you are hot and live so get it all! Camera One, go for an over-the-shoulder two shot. Camera Four, give me a loose medium shot as well. I do not want to miss a single moment of this historic occasion."

Mahoro looked on as Hanzo took the medallion from around his neck and presented it to Mahoro, placing it around hers. The judges were unanimous in their totals.

Judge One spoke. "Everything about this is perfect. It looks marvelous; it tastes marvelous; it IS marvelous. The balance of all the flavors and spices is in total harmony."

Judge Two nodded in agreement. "This is cooking to the next level. This is a meal that would be at home in the finest restaurants anywhere in the world."

The judges stood up and began to applaud Mahoro, followed by the entire audience. The roar was deafening. Inside the production booth, the director was ecstatic.

"This is easily a Top Ten Best Ever Show. A judge passing out and Hanzo giving up his medallion. Who would have thought it?"

Hanzo took Mahoro by the hand and led her out to the center of the stage. He spoke. "I hereby declare Mahoro Ando the winner and Cooking Shogun!" The cheering and applause went on and on and on, as Mahoro deeply blushed at all this. The floor director stood to one side. He knew this conclusion was going to be taped in its full glory.

When the clapping finally died down, the floor director came out and declared, "And we are out! Thank you, Hiryu!" More cheering came forth. He continued. "Now comes the boring part of the show, putting everything away and cleaning up. So, unless you really want to get roped into winding up miles and miles of cable, this would be an excellent time to sneak out in an orderly manner. Again, the entire staff of the Cooking Shogun Roadshow wishes to thank you all for the depth of your hospitality and in giving us a particularly fine show.

"You will be advised as to its airdate, but we are expecting some time in November. Again, thank you all." He bowed to them as more cheering was heard.

Everyone was taken backstage, but Hanzo stopped Mahoro for a moment. "How would you like to work for me at the Blade?"

Mahoro's eyes opened wide. "Hanzo-sama, this is indeed a great honor, but I have to politely decline. There is one here who has need of me, and I must stay with him." She bowed.

He nodded. "I admire your dedication. Should the day come that you no longer wish to be a maid, there is a standing offer to come work with me at the Blade."

"I am deeply touched."

Hanzo smiled. "Well, there is still a lot of clean-up work to be done. Let us take a little breather and finish up the rest of the day." Holding out his arm, he motioned for her to go before him into the back stage area, which she did.

**MAHORO'S SYSTEM WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 349 DAYS**

End Notes

One difficulty for me is the titles for these tales. What should I do? Should I come up with my own titles (or, in this case, a humorous rip-off of Philip K. Dick?) or stick to titles that are closer in nature to actual chapter headings in the manga?

My concern is that there is a lyricism in those titles that I may not be able to fully match and is it even necessary to do so? I mean, the majority of those titles have "maid" in them (except for the "light" series in Book Three) and you kind of run dry in the creative title area, locked into that word.

Having been a TV Major (but unable to get a job in the medium) I do have an idea of the madness that can happen with this type of situation, although this isn't anything near true madness. Again, you want to flatten it out slightly and keep it simple so you don't get bored reading it. The action is in front of the camera, not behind.

For those who are interested, here is the full recipe Mahoro used.

Ahi Tuna with Curried Summer Squash, Chayote Slaw, and Coconut Cream

Recipe courtesy Kevin Cullen, Good Fellow's, MN

Curried Summer Squash: **Recipe Summary**

3 medium summer squash, peeled **Difficulty:** Difficult  
1/2 sweet onion, sliced **Prep Time:** 45 minutes  
2 cloves garlic sliced **Cook Time:** 10 minutes  
1/4 cup grapeseed oil **Yield:** 6 servings  
1/2 tablespoon curry powder  
2 kaffir lime leaves  
6 ounces coconut milk  
18 ounces chicken stock  
1 teaspoon ginger juice  
Salt  
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Coconut Cream: Ahi Tuna:  
6 ounces heavy cream 12 ounces ahi tuna loin  
6 ounces coconut milk 12 Thai basil leaves  
1/4 cup toasted coconut

Chayote Slaw: Ahi Poke:  
1 cup julienned chayote squash 5 ounces diced ahi  
1 cup julienned canary melon 1 teaspoon sesame oil  
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted) 1 tablespoon sliced scallion  
2 ounces orange reduction Salt

Curried Squash: Place sliced squash, onion, and garlic into a saucepan and sweat with grapeseed oil. Stir in curry powder, add lime leaves, coconut milk, and stock. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove lime leaves and blend. Finish by seasoning with ginger juice, salt, and ground cumin. Chill.

Chayote Slaw: Toss all ingredients together and season with salt.

Ahi Poke: Toss together in a bowl. Chill.

Coconut Cream: Reduce cream. Add milk and reduce. Add toasted coconut. Chill.

Ahi Tuna: Char the tuna loin in a wok, remove from a pan, and let rest. Place poke, charred tuna (sliced) and slaw in a bowl. Pour in squash puree and garnish with coconut cream and basil.


	8. Chapter 8, A Bedtime Story

"A Bedtime Story"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 29th

Standing outside of the Suguru household were Miyuki Sakura, Rin Todoroku and Oe Chizuko. They were talking to each other in low tones, but made no attempt to get to the house. From the relative comfort of the dog house, Slash watched the three girls with a curious eye.

They stood in the front yard about halfway between the gate and the porch, but to one side, so they could not be seen from the house. They did not want to draw attention to themselves, but it appeared they were having some kind of second thoughts or doubts as to whatever it was they wanted to accomplish. Slash shook his head.

He knew they were somewhat harmless. Except that Chizo one, mused Slash. She is always hugging and squishing me. It's embarrassing. One of Vesper's finest Battle Mechs and he was helpless around this tiny girl. Although he could not fully hear what they were saying, the conversation was very animated: Rin kept flinging her arms towards the house, urging Miyuki towards it; Miyuki crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently, listening to whatever Rin had to say, but not buying into it; and Chizo merely looking on, while she devoured some broiled corn she had brought along.

The August weather was somewhat waning, but it was still humid in the afternoon sun. Yet, all the girls did was to gesticulate and mutter and walk about in a large circle. Slash came out of the doghouse, stretched and sauntered over towards them to at least get an idea of what was going on. Not too close though, he reminded himself, or I'll be smothered with clutchings and squealing.

He surreptitiously came towards them, but hid behind a tree that was close enough to listen in on them, but far enough away from Chizo's grasp.

"Look, I thought this was a done deal," griped Miyuki. "Everything is set up for it."

"I just feel odd in asking, I mean, she is so much older than we are. I don't know if she would even go for it," offered Rin.

"We had so much fun at the beach with her…I mean BEFORE the Crab Robot showed up. I think she just needs a little nudge," said Chizo.

"You only want her over to cook for you," jeered Rin."

"Cooking can also be a lot of fun," pondered Miyuki. "We could appeal to her cooking instincts. I mean, after all, she is a Cooking Shogun."

"What if she says 'no' to everything? Look how hard it was to get her to go to the beach with us!" countered Rin. "I just don't want to do this every time we want to be with her. It gets really tiring and I cannot really tell if she is mocking us or if she really is that unaware of things."

Chizo finished up the corn and went to place the cob in the trash. "But isn't this the point of what we are doing with her? I mean, there is so much more to her than meets the eye. It's like she's in disguise."

Rin snorted. "You make her sound like a Transformer. Mahoromus Prime. Maybe she'll convert into a truck. For you, Chizo, it will be a catering truck!"

"Well, we'll never know anything until we ask," said Miyuki. "So, let's ask!"

"That's right and…oooooh, look! It's Slashie-Poo!" cooed Chizo. Before Slash could escape, Chizo had trotted over and was hugging the daylights out of him.

How mortifying, he thought, as Chizo scratched him behind the ears and made baby talk. "You're such a cute widdle Slashie-Washie." Rin and Miyuki looked on.

Rin sighed. "I suppose I have to ask Mahoro."

"No," said Miyuki, "We'll ALL ask her. Chizo, it's time to go."

Yes, please, grimaced Slash. Save me from this humiliation.

"Yes, but Slashie-Poo is just so….cuddly!" Chizo gave him another hug and Slash gritted his teeth. Rin and Miyuki came over and forced Chizo away from Slash, then dragged her up to the porch, where they rang the bell. Moments later, Mahoro opened the door.

"Oh, good day to you all. I am sorry, but Suguru has stepped out for a moment. If you would like to come in and wait for him, you may," offered Mahoro.

"We would like to come in, but it is you we wish to speak to," said Rin, pointing at her.

"It is a matter of some importance," noted Miyuki.

"And we hope you have some treats!" chirped up Chizo. Miyuki sighed. Chizo could be SUCH a pain.

They were escorted in and seated at the couch, while Mahoro brought over some treats. She was looking concerned as she sat down. "What do you wish to speak to me about?" asked Mahoro, appearing rather somber.

"As you know, the new school semester starts in a couple of days, signaling the end of summer vacation…" started Rin.

"So, although there isn't much time left to have a bit more fun, there is still some time left to have a bit more fun," finished up Miyuki. Mahoro looked at them a bit perplexed. Chizo noshed down the treats, savoring them. She managed not to detonate, for a change, but her eyes were bulging out.

"Mmmmmmm. Such lovely crab cakes; so light and delicate. Not even the Crustacean Plantation can match these in flavor," purred Chizo, who was jabbed by Miyuki. "Oh, right. I…WE were wondering if you would like to come over for a Slumber Party. At my place. Tonight. I know it's short notice, but it's The End of Summer Slumber Party and Food Feast and…can I have another crab cake, please?"

Rin put her hand on Chizo's forehead and slowly pushed her back onto the couch, rolling her eyes. Mahoro was very serious. "As much fun as that may sound, I have a responsibility to Suguru. It is not my place as a maid to abandon my post."

Rin looked at Miyuki; Miyuki looked at Rin; Chizo looked at the crab cakes. Rin and Miyuki nodded at each other, with Rin speaking first. "Didn't you have a lot of fun at the beach? I mean, before that…thing showed up?"

"I though you really liked when we went shopping for that swim suit and splashing in the water with us?" pressed Miyuki.

"And that lunch you made was just so fabulous!" said Chizo, between bites of crab cakes that she was stealing off of Rin's plate.

Mahoro thought for a moment. She DID have fun. Although the Crab Robot part was terrifying, she did have a sense of accomplishment with Suguru's help. Even afterwards, when they all came to see them passed out on the beach, they were all very concerned and supportive of her…except Shikijo-sensei.

"I….I still have to say 'no', as my duties as a maid come first to Suguru and this house." Rin rubbed her chin to think of another argument to convince Mahoro to come over, looking over to Miyuki, who was equally perplexed. Just then, Suguru came in.

"Mahoro, I'm back. I mailed off that huge letter of yours. It required extra postage and…..oh! Rin, Chizo, Miyuki. What brings you here?"

Miyuki practically leapt from her seat to get to Suguru. Her crab cake left exposed, Chizo pounced on it and left no evidence of its departure.

Miyuki whispered to him as Mahoro brought over more crab cakes. "Suguru, we are trying to convince Mahoro to come over to our End of Summer Slumber Party at Chizo's place tonight. Everyone has said it OK with them, except one critical person." She thrust her head in Mahoro's direction. "Tell her it's OK, please? Let her know she can come over. Otherwise, she won't go."

Suguru looked a bit nervous as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, heh, heh, I guess that…"

Rin came over to his other side. "We would really, REALLY like her to do this. Please help us," she begged. "We want to get to know Mahoro better. It's just for the evening. We promise to get her back here tomorrow in one piece. Honest!"

Miyuki continued. "I mean, this was something we were going to do at the beach: basking in the sun, eating noodles, watching the waves crash upon the golden sand, seeing the sun go down."

Rin stepped in. "But, well, we never really got the chance to do that, and it was no fun spending the rest of the day answering a lot of questions from a lot of authority types, especially when you are NAKED!"

Chizo leaned in to Mahoro, as she brought over the plate. "When you come over, would you make these for us, please? Daddy never got a chance to sample what you did at the Roadshow."

Suguru looked at Mahoro, who looked up at him. He then looked at the girls. "Well, then, could you…" He made a movement with his fingers. He pointed at them, then into the entryway. Rin and Miyuki nodded, with Rin coming back for Chizo.

"Chizo, let's see if Slashie-Poo wants another hug. I'm sure it gets lonely out in the yard," she said, taking Chizo by the arm and lifting her up and away from the couch.

"Oh, YES, that would be fun," and they stepped down the hallway. But they did not go out the door; instead, they plastered themselves flat against the wall, inching towards the corner. They wanted to hear his discussion to convince Mahoro, and perhaps step in should Suguru falter in this. Suguru came over and sat next to Mahoro.

"Uh…..Rin told me about this…sleepover? And…"

"My duty as a maid is to this house and to you. I cannot be derelict in my responsibilities, nor can I decide to do whatever comes to mind that isn't focused upon my tasks." She was quite resolute in her approach. "It doesn't matter how much fun I would have doing this sleepover and…" Mahoro paused, as her true feelings popped out again.

Suguru tried to come up with his points for her to go. "Uh…but they are your friends and, uh…they want to do this with you ….and, uh…" Suguru was stumbling around for the right words. Rin was anxious to jump in, but was restrained by Miyuki, who shook her head 'no'. Suguru went on. "…uh, this is what friends do. Yes. I want you to go do this."

Mahoro blinked at Suguru for a moment. "Friends?" She began to think. For all of her existence, she had been designed for one purpose: defend the Earth against alien invaders. Although she had a lot of people who cared for her, she never really thought about them as being friends.

Even when Commander Misato was out fishing and he would speak about many things, she still always felt that it was more like comrades in arms than a real friendship. She just did not know how to handle this. Suguru had said that they would learn things as they went along, but she wasn't sure if she knew what it meant to be a friend or to have one.

True, they were all very anxious for her to come to the beach that day, and it was fortunate that she did, but it all felt uncomfortable for her. She didn't know what to do or what she should do. She didn't want to look foolish, but they had been through so much in the last 30 days: the Crab Robot, the Cooking Roadshow, the ghost hunt at the school, the Ninja Panty Bandit, the Summer Festival and fireworks show.

Suguru could see that the wheels were really turning in Mahoro's head and decided to press the advantage. From their location, the girls peered on in anxious silence as Suguru spoke. "Yes! Friends. Time with YOUR friends. I mean, one evening away from the house isn't going to hurt anything. It's not like I'm going to burn the place down." He laughed to himself.

Mahoro slipped into her 'bo' face as she imagined the house in flames, Suguru yelling for help from an upper window as everything became engulfed in a raging inferno. Rin and Miyuki imagined Mahoro imagining the house in flames. Chizo imagined flaming crab cakes. Rin and Miyuki peered around the corner cautiously, to see the back of Mahoro's head, her hair horns flapping. It wasn't a frantic flap, but they were still going up and down. Boink, boinkboink, boink.

"She's gonna say 'no'; it doesn't look good for Homestar Runner," hissed Miyuki.

"What can we do?" returned Rin. "If we burst in now, they will know we were listening in and that could make things worse. Why did he say that? I know all she can see is flames everywhere!" Mahoro abruptly stood upright, ready to speak. Suddenly, Chizo bolted out and grabbed Mahoro around the waist. Rin and Miyuki gasped.

Chizo squeaked. "Flaming crab cakes sound so delicious, Mahoro. Please say you'll come over. Please? Please?"

Finger up in the air, mouth agape, Mahoro was now at a loss for words. She was going to explain why she couldn't do this, but Chizo changed all that. Suguru smiled.

"You can't say no to that," he commented. "Your friends have spoken."

Mahoro put her finger down. "Well, it would be rude for me to refuse now. But I don't know what to bring and…" Charging from the hallway, Rin and Miyuki ran upstairs.

"We know what you need!" they shrieked, as they blasted by, clambering up the stairs like a pair of mountain goats. Mahoro was not ready for this and tried to follow, but Chizo was wrapped tightly about her middle. Dragging her up the stairs, Mahoro got to her room to see Rin and Miyuki had laid out a number of clothing combinations for her upon the bed: her pajamas, a pair of slippers and almost all of her casual outfits.

"You won't need much, but you will need something. Some to wear over, something to wear there, something to wear back," commented Rin.

"I like this green one," said Miyuki, pointing to a dress.

"I think she should go with a dignified casual," returned Rin, promoting a blue outfit that had a military theme and cut to it.

"Something so she can cook in the kitchen, something like that would be excellent," suggested Chizo, finally letting go of Mahoro.

"So, we'll let you choose the outfits and change out of your maid uniform, but don't take too much time, please," said Miyuki. With that, they all left the room and headed back downstairs, closing the door behind them smartly. Mahoro looked at all the clothes, laid out so nicely for her, and thought. She didn't take that much time to chase them up to her room, but look what those two were able to do; the girls were quick.

Downstairs, Suguru was getting grilled.

"Why is she this way? I mean, you almost have to use a crow bar to pry her away to have any fun." said Rin. "When we went to the beach, we almost had to put on a production of 'The Mikado' to convince her to come along."

"I admire her dedication to her domestic duties, but she has to take off a bit of time to stop and smell the hydrangeas," prodded Miyuki. "You have got to do more fun things with her and get her into condition to step away from the vacuum cleaner."

"I mean, we could kind of tap into her maid responsibilities and ask her nicely if she would cook for us. Not that I am exploiting her or anything like that," said Chizo, her mind awash with visions of a Mahoro-cooked dinner. "But with all that we have at the house, she could be cooking all night long. Mmmmmmmmmm." Chizo started to fade away, her eyelids fluttering.

"Well, she's just a serious person and not really, uh…concerned about fun. Is that the right word to use? I mean, for her, weeding and cleaning is excitement for her. It's just easier to let her do what she needs to do." Suguru could not tell them that destroying alien androids was probably what she felt was truly enjoyable. Despite what she experienced on the beach, taking on that Crab Robot was a huge thrill.

"Look, it was hard enough for us to ask her to come over. She is five years older than we are," said Miyuki. "She could have thought that we were too young to hang out with. And there is more to life than cleaning off stuck-on food to plates, laundry, weeding and cooking."

Chizo eyes bugged out, as she was finishing off the second plate of crab cakes. "I must disagree. There is hardly anything more to life than cooking, especially when done by such a master chef as…Mahoro! You're here!" All looked up to see Mahoro coming down the stairs. She was wearing a peach outfit with a short skirt and her hair was tied in a big yellow bow. She shyly brought down her suitcase and smiled.

"I think I am ready," she said as she neared the couch.

Rin and Miyuki came up to her and looked her over, nodding their appreciation. "So, you have all that you need?" asked Rin.

"Is your pillow in there? I mean, I can never go anywhere without my own pillow," said Miyuki. "It took me almost two years to break it in to a point where it is comfortable for me and I don't want to be fighting with a strange pillow all night long. Bam! Pow!" Miyuki had an imaginary fight with a phantom pillow "Is this a pillow or a brick in a case? I'll get your pillow." And Miyuki went right back upstairs

Mahoro looked over to Rin. "Is it that important that I come over?" she asked innocently.

Everyone replied in unison, "Yes, it is!" Mahoro was not prepared for that level of response. Maybe she did have friends.

"Then I really want to come over," she concluded

"Hooray!" said Miyuki, as she came down with the pillow. "Now, do you have everything?

"Yes! I believe that I do." She went over to Suguru. "Do not forget to feed Guri-chan and Slash."

"I'll be fine, Mahoro; go and have some fun." Suguru gave her a big smile. Rin escorted Mahoro from the house and Miyuki grabbed Chizo and dragged her along. Suguru followed them and went to the door, waving as they left. Once gone, Suguru shut the door and hurriedly went to the phone.

"Kawahara, this is Suguru. Call Hamadi and you both come on over tonight. 'The cat is away'. I repeat, 'the cat is away'." He hung up the phone, with a sly glance. Oh, yes; the mice were going to have a great time.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

End Notes

As with a lot of my writing lately, I seem to be misjudging how long it will take to tell a story. I had hoped to wrap this up in about seven or so pages (and another page of my endless blatherskiting), but I hit that mark without getting to the really fun stuff, so it became another Extended Compact.

Mahoro eventually learns to be kind of spontaneous, but her rigid background makes that rather tough, so she had to learn somewhere. This was an opportunity for that experience to be learned, so when grandfather shows up in February (and all the wildness that he brings with it), she is on a stronger footing.

And, as the story progressed, a bunch of new ideas cropped up, that forced me into telling a longer tale and really playing up the comic element. Yes, "Mahoromatic" is categorized as a 'romantic comedy', although there are times when the author presses that designation really hard. How can you laugh when you see her getting destroyed halfway through Book Eight or told she has very little operating time left in Book Seven? Someone has an odd sense of what is "comedy".

I always had the idea of the girls hanging out together, since, later on in the anime, they spend a lot of time plotting and planning at the bathhouse, so the initial get-together had to come earlier. While writing this, I had ideas for another trip to the bathhouse, where Mahoro meets all of them there to start the real ball rolling for this, but that is future stuff for now, as would be the "debriefing" from the Crab Robot incident.

I know that when Mahoro thinks of the last 30 days (July 27th to August 29th), a couple of those items she recalls are my own stories and the Ninja Panty Bandit is a manga only tale, but she really did have a busy August, which would get very involved two days later with the arrival of Ryuga and the fire/explosion atop the Green Star Refined Sake building.

There may be a couple of references that are obscure.

"Homestar Runner" is a website with the main character of StrongBad, who answers people's e-mail about odd things. Homestar Runner, reduced to being a support on his own site, used to have the catch-phrase, "Things aren't looking good for Homestar Runner." It's just a classier way to say events are going south or disaster is on the horizon.

The second reference is in regards to the letter Suguru sent off. This is not the massive letter she first sent to Vesper, as that occurred on August 1st. Since I assume she sends these letters quite often to her family at Vesper, this just would have been another one of those tomes. (And for those who saw that particular anime, you noticed that it was almost a manuscript).


	9. Chapter 9, Sugar and Spice

"Sugar and Spice"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 29th

The walk to Chizo's house was pleasant enough, despite the stifling weather. Still, it was getting towards the evening, so the heat was waning. As Mahoro trundled along, she was amazed at the amount of chatter those three were putting up. They were discussing what they were going to do that night, but it might as well be the cicadas talking for all the sense it made.

"Imenathatwecanhavealotoffunaswetalkanddon;tforgetallthefungamesthatwearegoingtoplayandIhaveneverstayedupthatlateeverandmakesureyouhaveenoughmusicandIcannotremeberthelasttimeIwasoveratChizo'splaceandIwonderhwhatMahoromightbecookingforustonightandIhopethereisn'taballgameontonightasyourfathercangetkindsinvolvedinthegameandwillbebepaintingnailsaswellanddoyouthinkyoucanstyleMahoro'shairintoadifferentsytleasIthinkbraidsmightlookgoodonwillyourmother…"

Mahoro shook her head and smiled. They were a lot of fun to be with. Still, she was concerned about Suguru, but, he was right: one night by himself wouldn't be a problem. Mahoro was also surprised as to how close everyone lived to one another. With school going back into session, perhaps they would be over to the house more often.

"Well, here we are!" burbled Chizo, as they arrived at her house. Rin and Miyuki stared.

"Say, when was the last time I was over here?" asked Miyuki. "I don't remember the house looking like this."

"Actually, it has been some time. The reason I haven't asked anyone over is that we were renovating and upgrading the house for almost a year. Note the second story? That is where the bedrooms are. Downstairs was reconverted to a home theater, a bigger kitchen and a better living room, with a flat screen plasma high-def TV in there as well"

"A year?!" puzzled Rin. "But your birthday was…"

"…was at the Panda Chop House, remember? Suguru spilled tea all over himself. Their chicken teriyaki was a bit off that day."

Mahoro gazed at the house. It was even larger than Suguru's home but it looked like a series of boxes stacked upon one another. The perimeter wall was very tall and left almost no space between the house and the shrubbery that went around two sides of the house. The lawn was the size of a postage stamp. Chizo led the way and opened the door. "Hi, everyone, we're home."

Suddenly, yelling could be heard. "What is wrong with you morons? You can't be trusted to do anything right! I am going to kick the snot out of you! You know better than that!"

Rin and Miyuki were scared and Mahoro was ready to go on the defensive. Chizo sighed. "Dad's watching baseball. Again. I hoped they wouldn't be broadcasting tonight."

More yelling could be heard. "My grandma could play better than that and she's been dead for years! Go back to the Little League, you slugs!" Chizo's mother then came into the hallway, giving them a big smile.

"I'm so glad you could all make it over." She looked to Rin and Miyuki. "I haven't seen you two over in such a long while and…"she peered over at Mahoro, "…I've heard so much about you. Call me Taso."

Another eruption came from the TV room. "Throw to the cut-off man. THROW TO THE CUT-OFF MAN! I am going to cut you in two!" Taso smiled, and then quickly left into the living room, where the game was turned off. "Hey, I was watching that!" was heard.

"No, you were yelling at that. Besides, Chizo and her friends are here for the Slumber Party and your actions are…"

"Mahoro? Did they bring over Mahoro?" Mahoro felt herself redden at the mention of her name. Both of Chizo's parents came into the hallway, father speaking. "Rin, how are you, and Miyuki. The baths doing well?" Then he focused on Mahoro. "We haven't been properly introduced. I am Hohoeuki, but everyone calls me 'Hokey'."

"And I am Mahoro Ando." She bowed politely.

"I hope this won't sound too forward, but could I convince you to…..cook dinner for us tonight?" Hokey smiled. Chizo nudged Mahoro.

"Hokey!" Taso yelled at him. "That is more than forward, that is practically blackmail."

"But…but…but…" sputtered Hokey.

"But…but…but…" sputtered Chizo. Rin and Miyuki snickered politely.

"I would not mind cooking dinner for you all. After all, I am a maid and that is my duty," said Mahoro, cheerfully.

"I will not have any guest treated in such a manner," countered Taso. She turned to Hokey and Chizo. "I am appalled that you would even think to…" Suddenly, she found both Chizo and Hokey, on their knees, pleading in front of her, grasping her legs.

"You have to, Mom. You just have to!" whined Chizo.

"You must. You have no other choice and….ohhh. There's a run in your stocking," noticed Hokey.

Taso stood there, looking mortified. She turned to Mahoro. "If it is not too much of an imposition, could I ask of you if you would make dinner tonight, please?"

Mahoro looked at Taso, and then looked down at Chizo and her father, on their knees, making pathetic, pleading faces. Hokey had his bottom lip out, almost ready to cry. Mahoro spoke. "I would be delighted to do so." Chizo and Hokey broke into cheering as Taso covered her face with a hand, muttering under her breath.

"Chizo, please take Mahoro's suitcase to your room. Mahoro, will you please come with me into the kitchen?" Mahoro followed Taso into the kitchen and gasped.

"What a magnificent kitchen!" Her eyes nearly popped from her head.

There was a huge center island, with a polished black granite top, plus a couple of utility sinks. Around the walls were professional grade cooking equipment: a huge six-burner gas stove, a large capacity oven and microwave, a walk-in fridge that could easily be a wardrobe, lots of pantry space, a mini wine fridge, a stand-alone freezer unit and two dishwashers, all lit with recessed ceiling lights.

There were miles and miles of cutlery, potentially every style of kitchen utensil ever made, and what Mahoro thought was a chandelier was actually a hanging rack with all kinds of copper-bottomed pots. She went over to a knife rack and pulled out a chopping knife. She was amazed at how well-balanced it was and made light chopping motions with it. After a few passes, she then realized she was being watched.

Turning about, she saw everyone was seated around the island, as there was enough room for that. Chizo sat at the closest stool, followed by Rin and Miyuki, then Taso and Hokey, who was having a glass of wine. "I hope you don't mind if we watch," said Chizo with much fervor. "I mean, the Roadshow was nice and all, but I was really far away and missed a lot of the action."

"Oh, that will be fine with me. What would you like for dinner?" Mahoro looked to them. They all looked at one another. With no one speaking, Taso stepped up.

"Well, you can cook almost anything you like. Go look in the fridge." Mahoro opened the door to see an excellently stocked fridge. She clambered through the meat drawer.

"Ohhh. You have such nice lamb here. Could I use this?" Mahoro peeked back at them.

"Sure, not a problem. Do you have an idea?" asked Taso.

"I will make a lamb dish: cumin lamb steaks with smashed potatoes, wilted spinach and red wine sauce."

"Lamb! Hooray!" cheered Chizo. Hokey smacked his lips in anticipation.

"Now, don't hold back, Mahoro," said Hokey. "I mean, what you did with that onion was fabulous." He made cutting motions in the air, adding in sound effects. "Chachachachachachacha." Hokey thought for a moment. "Red wine sauce." He went underneath and came back with the bottle of wine he was drinking from. "Use this, it's a wonderful Merlot."

Mahoro looked through the cabinets. "I would prefer to use new potatoes, but you have a lot of red potatoes, so I can use that as well...I am just impressed with how well stocked you are!"

"We like to dine, what can I say," burbled Chizo.

Mahoro laid out the lamb, ready to cut, but looked about. "Do you have a cutting board?"

Taso pointed towards Mahoro's right. "If you look in front of you, there should be a slot that has the cutting board slid into it. And the drawer at the bottom will have an apron for you."

Mahoro first put on the apron, then retrieved the cutting board, which was shaped like a pig. She proceeded to halve the potatoes and boil them. Getting out a saucepan, she melted the butter and minced the garlic, letting the aroma filled the room. Mahoro saw them all take a collective sniff. Chizo looked like she would pass out, her eyes fluttering as she spoke.

"That was the one bad part of the Roadshow: I couldn't take in any of the fragrances from the cooking. That is easily half of the cooking experience." Mahoro smiled and got right back to work.

So involved she was in her tasks, she sang one of her songs. "When it's time to cook potatoes, I leave them in their skins, as it adds a touch of flavor that can't be added later. It gives it a nice color, and such a lovely taste. I'd eat potatoes every day, except it's just too starchy."

Mahoro added the brown sugar and the wine and let that boil as well. Another pan came out to heat the oil as she worked on the lamb steaks, pressing cumin seeds into it on both sides, as well as putting on the salt and pepper. The potatoes were ready and taken off, as was the sauce, both kept warm.

Everyone stared on in rapt silence. "I am amazed at her fearlessness in the kitchen," commented Taso. "I sense no hesitation in what she does."

"I am flabbergasted as to how precise her cuts are. I mean, those potatoes are exactly in half," noted Hokey.

"At the Roadshow, she was amazing!" said Chizo. "Even Hanzo was stunned."

"And to think she does this for Suguru every night," added Miyuki. "Including the songs. I have never met anyone so happy to be cooking."

"I can cook, but sometimes, the kitchen just gets too warm for me," said Rin. "I don't think I have ever seen her burn anything or let a pot boil over."

"You should see the bentos she makes for Suguru! I mean, talk about a feast in a box. And the after-school snacks. She made a crab cake today that was sheer heaven!" Chizo smacked her lips as she recalled their delicate flavor.

"How close are you to being finished, Mahoro?" asked Hokey.

"I need another 10 minutes or so."

Hokey turned to everyone. "Let get the dinnerware ready." While still watching her, all the plates and cutlery were retrieved. A stack of plates was placed near Mahoro, while the rest sat at the island, silverware and glasses at the ready.

After Mahoro wilted the spinach, she mashed up the potatoes with a flourish and began to lay out the plates. A huge dollop of mashed potatoes went in the center, the spinach leaves laid to one side of it, the lamb atop that and the red wine sauce strained over it.

Everyone stared at the food. "It looks marvelous," said Rin, as Mahoro brought around the plates. Everyone began to eat.

Simultaneously, Chizo, Taso and Hokey rose to their feet. "OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" they shrieked.

Miyuki leaned towards Rin. "And you wonder where she gets it." Rin snickered.

"Such wonderful potatoes," gushed Taso.

"Exquisite flavoring on the lamb; that cumin," remarked Chizo.

"This red wine sauce is superb!" concluded Hokey. They all stood up and applauded Mahoro, who blushed. She really wasn't used to these accolades.

"Better than the Australian Lamb Frontier restaurant," said Chizo.

"Better than the Kiwi Experience near the waterfront," said Taso.

"Better than the World O' Food Delights," said Hokey.

Miyuki leaned over to Rin. "How can they remember so many restaurants they have been to? I can barely recall what I had for dinner last week!"

"Some people know fine wines; these folks know the food and restaurants. Chizo will tell you that there are 293 dining establishments of every caliber in this town and they have been to them ALL," replied Rin

"Not all," chirped Chizo. "There is a new one that just opened up, 'Planet Raw'. But we usually wait about a month before we go, so they can have a chance to get used to things and get their cooking techniques in place."

When dinner was concluded, Mahoro began to tend to the dishes, but Taso quickly stood up, waggling a finger at her.

"You are still a guest. WE…" as she pointed to Hokey, "…will tend to the kitchen. You go have fun." They went upstairs while Taso and Hokey sat at the counter in the now-quiet kitchen.

"That Mahoro is something else, eh?" said Hokey, mopping up the last of the red wine sauce. "I will have to get that recipe from her."

"It makes me wish I could have gone to the cooking show," commented Taso.

On the second floor, Mahoro saw Chizo's room. It had been rearranged to accommodate all four of them. "You were expecting me to come over?"

"We were not going to take 'no' for an answer," said Rin. "If we had to kidnap you, we were going to do that."

Chizo went to a pile of DVDs stacked near her bookcase. "I have selected a series of movies for our viewing enjoyment. What would you like? I have comedy, I have horror, I have drama, I have musical, I have western, I have sci-fi, I have romance, I have comedy horror, I have animated sci-fi romance, I have western musical crime drama romance….." As Chizo spoke, the cases were piled up in front of them all.

"Besides, we have a little gift for you," said Miyuki, as she gave Mahoro a small box. Perplexed, she opened it to see a photograph.

"This….this is from that ghost hunting examination," said Mahoro, seeing the shot of the guys in full panic. "I knew it was you from the phone call. I recognized your voice, but decided to play along. That was a lot of fun."

Rin slid close. "Do you want to have some more fun?" Mahoro looked at her.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

End Notes

I recently found myself looking at Season Two, Episode 11. This one is the aftermath of the beating she absorbed at the hands of Dr. Metherius, although it does take into account a lap-over from Episode 10.

As she is falling, Suguru is riding the Sylpheed up to catch her. She has this very strong desire to return to the life she had, at the house. Unusually powerful memories of a happier time (and if you have had the bejeezuz electrocuted out of you, you'd probably feel the same as well).

What I wanted to do with this story is give her a strong memory of that house and her friends and that happy life. Much like the ghost hunting episode, this is just some pure silliness and whimsical farce, which will become more evident in the third segment of this tale.

When Chizo starts reeling off the different genres of film she has, you will note a Western Musical Crime Drama Romance. I actually wrote that on a dare for a script. I didn't think it was that bad of an offering, but it got pasted in the reviews. So much for genre-busting films.

In regards to feedback, it has been a bit light (especially in regards to my blabberings at the end), so I never know if people even avail themselves of these little tales. I had some folks reading my notes for my Mermaid offering, but I just don't know if it reaches people. I bring this up, as I am uncertain whether adding these recipes is of any use.

I do it to show the caliber of research that I invest into these tales, and not just to show off. For me, the mechanics of how one gets creative can be just as fascinating as the story itself.

Planet Raw is a real restaurant that just opened up in my town, as they are trying things with raw vegetables. Strictly vegetarian. The funny thing is, they are taking over an old used book store location, so I am more curious as to how they are going to convert the layout to a restaurant.

Cumin Lamb Steaks with Smashed Potatoes, Wilted Spinach and Red Wine Sauce (note: this recipe is for two).

INGREDIENTS

20 new potatoes, halved

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup red wine

4 (6 ounce) lamb shoulder steaks

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 bunches fresh spinach, cleaned

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons softened butter

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes into a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and allow to steam-dry for a minute or two.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the aroma of the garlic has mellowed. Add the brown sugar and red wine, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Meanwhile, season the lamb steaks with salt and pepper to taste. Press the cumin seeds into the steaks on both sides. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steaks, and cook on both sides until cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove the steaks to rest in a warm spot. Place the spinach into the hot skillet, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until the spinach has wilted.

Mash the potatoes with the sour cream and butter; season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, mound a serving of mashed potatoes onto the center of a dinner plate. Top with the spinach and a lamb steak. Strain the red wine sauce overtop.


	10. Chapter 10, and So To Bed

"…and So to Bed"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

August 29th

20 minutes later, they were at the Misato household, all dressed like ninjas. Night had fallen, so their activities were better disguised. Mahoro had to speak to Slash about not interfering with their little prank. He was more than content to remain in the doghouse.

Peering through the downstairs window, they could not see Suguru, so they assumed he was in his room upstairs. They entered through the sliding glass door, very quietly. Chizo was having a difficult time not snickering.

"You have to be really quiet," hissed Rin, "or you'll tip us off."

"I can't help it," she said, trying to hold herself in. "This is going to be even more fun than…" She started to break up.

Mahoro spoke up. "I'll take her outside and calm her down." They both left as Rin and Miyuki skulked about.

"Should we just rush up the stairs and clobber him?" asked Miyuki.

"No, we have to get him all uneasy first. How many horror films have you seen? It's not enough to…" A creaking door opened and murmuring was heard. They quickly scrambled to hide in the living room. Miyuki looked around a corner to see Kawahara coming down the stairs. What was HE doing here, she thought.

"Where am I to go?" he called up. Moments later, Suguru thumped down the stairs.

"Just go microwave up something. I'LL get it." Upon hearing the voices, Rin looked over as well. She saw Suguru go into the closet, then come out with a pile of magazines. "I've got 'Pretty Maidens All in a Row', 'Delicate Blossoms of the Orient', 'Blonde Ambitions' and 'It's D-D-Delightful.'"

"That last one. Is that the one with the really…you know…large girls?" called over Kawahara. Suguru held up the magazine for him to see. "Oh, yes. Woof! I think I'm in love."

Miyuki and Rin flattened themselves against the wall. "This is terrible," said Rin.

"Why?" asked Miyuki. "It's just the guys looking at ecchi."

"But if Mahoro finds out they are looking at ecchi…."

Miyuki's eyes widened. "She'll feel Suguru can't be trusted and not stay over with us!"

"We've got to warn them somehow!" said Rin.

"But…but…."

"Did you hear something?" said Kawahara. The girls froze, not daring to move.

"No, I…." The doorbell rang. "Hmmm. I wonder who that could be? Take the magazines upstairs. I'll get the door." When Suguru got there, he saw no one. Hiding behind the tree, tittering, were Chizo and Mahoro.

"We can have him doing this all night long," guffawed Chizo. Mahoro looked over as Suguru came out onto the porch to really look about, and then went back in, scratching his head.

In the entryway, he was waylaid by Rin and Miyuki, hands covering his mouth. "I need you to listen well, Suguru." Rin stared at him. "We originally came over here to torment you, but did not know that Kawahara and probably Hamadi would be here."

Miyuki continued. "Mahoro and Chizo are outside. If Mahoro even suspects you are looking at ecchi, you will blow it big time for all of us!"

"Your mission, that you will accept, is to hide away the ecchi, get rid of the guys and let us scare the pants off of you," said Rin.

"And if any member of your force is caught, this whole mission will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Suguru!" concluded Miyuki. Before they could let him go, the sliding door opened. They all flattened against the wall as Mahoro and Chizo came in.

"Now what?" asked Rin.

"I will stall them, so get Suguru upstairs!" Sliding around the wall, Miyuki went over to see them, obviously tip-toeing across the way.

"Where's Rin?" asked Chizo.

"I thought she was with you? She had to step out and…." The doorbell rang. Looking around panicky, they hid in the kitchen.

"Gosh, I wonder who that could be?" said Suguru, very forced. He made noises like he was coming down the stairs, went to the door and looked about. Rin was there and came in, but went into the living room to shut the window she had crawled out of to get to the door. Suguru, meanwhile, spoke on like he was in a bad sitcom. "Gee, no one seems to be there. I guess I had best be heading back upstairs." He quickly went upstairs. Mahoro watched this with interest.

In his room, Suguru shut the door and went to two guys. "What was that…" started Hamadi, but Suguru quickly put his hand over his mouth. Mrf hrf mfrm," he said. Kawahara came over, but also was silenced.

"Listen carefully: the girls are over her to scare us, like they did at the school with the ghost, but they are here to scare ME! They do not know YOU are here. Mahoro is with them, so if she sees all this ecchi….."

Hamadi hissed. "I refuse to lose 'It's D-D-Delightful' to her!" He clutched the magazine.

"What do you want of us?" Kawahara was serious.

"I need you to hide, with the magazines, and not get caught or it's the end, the absolute end." The magazines were gathered up and stuffed under their shirts. Suguru opened the door and heard the girls coming up the stairs. Gritting his teeth, he quickly sent them to Mahoro's room. "Just hide in her closet. She won't look there."

They scampered into her room and went into the closet. Meanwhile, on the stairs, the quartet slowly went up, Mahoro leading. Signaling them on, they went into her room. Quietly shutting the door, they spoke in hushed tones.

"We can use this as a base of operation, as Suguru will never think to look in here," she said. Looking through the slats on the closet door, Hamadi and Kawahara tried to breathe, but the adrenaline was too high. What to do? thought Kawahara. Hamadi was starting to fold under the tension, holding the treasures too tightly.

"They're gonna catch us! They're gonna catch us!" he blabbed.

"Shhhh! If you talk like that they will!" Kawahara tried to calm him down.

"What I want to do," started Mahoro, "is to get someone in Suguru's closet for an attack from there." She went to her closet and opened it up, Hamadi and Kawahara pushing to the shut side. "Rin, will you step in?" Rin stepped in and Mahoro shut the door, and then opened the other side. Kawahara and Hamadi went to the other side. Rin's eyes opened wide.

Kawahara tried to gesture to Rin, as Rin kept from crying out. Mahoro then asked Miyuki to get into the other side and closed the door. All four of them tried to talk about what to do in low tones.

Mahoro called to them. "Now, you have to practice being able to open the door quickly. He will shut one side, only to have the other side open up as well." In the closet, Rin and Miyuki positioned Hamadi and Kawahara so they would open the doors on Suguru but not reveal them. But the guys still had to squish about to avoid detection.

In his room, Suguru decided to do something. He came out to see how things were coming along, when he heard murmurings from Mahoro's room. He put his ear to the door to realize she was in there with everyone. The door knob rattled and Suguru bolted down the stairs.

At the base, he felt the best place to hide would be the hall closet. As he shut the door, Mahoro opened her room a crack to see that Suguru's door was wide open. Waving them on, they slunk in to set the trap. Rin and Miyuki lagged behind to get Hamadi and Kawahara out of there. Suguru could hear all the floorboards creaking from his place in the closet.

Mahoro and Chizo went into the room, Rin a bit behind and Miyuki far behind to get the boys out. When Mahoro saw they weren't all they, she went back into the hallway. Rin saw her step back and whispered out, "What's that sound?" Putting her hand to ear, Rin spun about and charged back into the room.

Rapidly closing the door, but not shutting it, she motioned for everyone to get back into the closet, also shoving Miyuki into it as well.

In Suguru's room, Chizo went into the closet while Mahoro stood near the door. Hearing nothing, she ventured outwards and tip-toed to her room. Going in, she saw Rin by the closet.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I…I was having Miyuki practice jumping out a bit more," she stammered.

"I think I'm ready," said Miyuki, as she opened the door as small as possible and slid out.

"I hope you will do better than that. Perhaps you should go back in and try one more time," mused Mahoro. She flung open the door and the boys had to get to the other side without stumbling over things or being seen. Miyuki got in there, then, once the door was closed, she flung it open fast and made a spooky face. "Yes, that should do nicely," said an approving Mahoro. Rin was trying to remain calm in all of this.

Meanwhile the boys were getting sweaty with all the panic and tension. "I don't wanna die," mouthed Hamadi. As the girls went to Suguru's room, the boys started to skulk out of the closet with extreme caution.

Suguru decided he needed to get back into this and came out of the closet. He went to the microwave and threw in a bag of popcorn to get that going, so that everyone could hear them.

Kawahara looked at the door to see what was going on, only to make eye contact with Rin, who tried to motion them down the stairs, but Mahoro came to the door at Suguru's room to listen. The boys went back into the closet.

"We are going to die, aren't we?" asked Hamadi. "We are just going to flat-out die."

"No, we are not. Sometimes, a bold move is what is needed!" Grasping his shirt, the magazines bulging around him, he dragged Hamadi to the door and opened it a crack.

"Good, he's making popcorn. We can be prepared for this." Kawahara was ready to fling open the main door.

Meanwhile, in Suguru's room, Mahoro made a satisfied face. "Good, he's making popcorn. We can be prepared for this." Then, the doorbell rang.

The girls looked at one another, confused.

The boys looked at one another, confused.

Suguru looked at the door, confused. He went over to the door and looked about, but all was quiet. He returned, got his popcorn, poured it into a large bowl and went back up.

Kawahara saw Suguru's door close. "NOW!" he hissed. Their door was yanked open and they quietly fled down the stairs, trying not to stomp about, as Suguru headed up. They passed on both sides of him and spun him about, some popcorn flying out.

As the bottom of the stairs, they made a frantic U-turn and went into the closet, Kawahara grabbing Hamadi by his collar and sliding him into the area. A few of the magazines dribbled out from his shirt. Kawahara flung him in, then made another huge sweeping motion to gather up the escaping magazines and corralled them in nothing flat. All were now in the closet, which shut with hardly a sound.

As Suguru spun about on the upper landing, the door to Mahoro's room opened up and he crashed into Rin, spilling more popcorn. Rin grabbed him and pulled him in.

"Where are the guys?" she said, taking some of his popcorn. "Mmmm. Kettle corn."

"They are hidden. Where is Mahoro?" Before Rin could answer, there was a light tapping at the door. Rin shoved Suguru into the closet and closed it as Mahoro came into the room.

"I cannot find Suguru anywhere," commented Mahoro. "Do I smell popcorn? Kettle corn to be specific?" Before Rin could answer, the doorbell rang again. "This will have to flush out Suguru," mulled Mahoro.

In the closet, Suguru gulped. He was in a pickle now. Miyuki came into the room.

"How are we going to answer the doorbell? I haven't seen Suguru anywhere! And if he is in the bathroom, well, he can stay there!"

Mahoro thought deeply. "This is very strange. Could he have discovered our little plan? This calls for drastic measures!" Mahoro went to the closet and started to open the door, but was stopped by Rin, trying to look calm as she fumbled for a reason.

"What could be in there that requires such drastic measures?" She put her hand on Mahoro's to stop her from opening the door, then squared herself so that Mahoro was staring at her and not the closet, Mahoro's back to the room's door. "I mean, we don't want Suguru to GET OUT of this situation, right?" Rin nodded frantically as Mahoro was a bit perplexed at all this.

Taking his cue, Suguru pushed open the door and crept across the floor, aided by Mikuyi, to get him out. Miyuki slid along with Suguru, blocking him as best as she could, but it was really no blocking at all. If Mahoro looked over, that was it.

Rin continued. "What could you possible have that would make this even more exciting?" Rin glanced over to see Miyuki stuffing Suguru out of the room.

"Perhaps you are right. More stealth is called for," concluded Mahoro. Outside the room, Suguru took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. He then stepped hard on the floorboards outside of Mahoro's room, to make them squeak just right, so they knew he was there.

"That should make them happy," he mumbled. Just then, the door to Mahoro's room was flung open wide and all three of them screamed at him.

"YAARGH!" yelled Suguru, popcorn flying everywhere. He started to run, but he slid on the kernels. When the ladies came after him, they, too, slid about and they all clutched about, grasping onto the skidding Suguru.

Shooting towards his open bedroom door, they hit the carpeted portion of his room and they all came to a screeching halt, crashing onto the floor, tumbling about, the bowl soaring through the air and leaving a snowstorm of popcorn raining down upon them.

At this point, Chizo popped out of that closet, wearing a Kabuki Mask and screeching as loud as she could. Mahoro remained calm, impressed at what Chizo had done, but Rin, Miyuki and Suguru were caught by surprise and screeched back, scrambling out into the hallway and slipping on the popcorn there.

Downstairs in the closet, Kawahara and Hamadi stood in sweaty silence. "It sounds like they are killing him," grimaced Hamadi, as the thumping and yelling made it appear as though all of them were going to come through the ceiling and discover them.

"You worry too much," responded Kawahara. "And stop getting the magazines all soaked. This one has that display of Uschii and I want to see it!"

Upstairs, everyone was in a heap, gasping and wheezing. Mahoro came over to look Suguru in the eyes, which were glazed over with fear and apprehension. Mahoro smiled broadly. "Thank you for a most wonderful time, Suguru. I am so glad that you had me go over with my friends. I'll never forget this."

"Neither…neither will I," mumbled Suguru as Rin and Miyuki got up. Chizo came out of the room, eating some popcorn.

"Not too bad for microwave, but my dad makes excellent popcorn. Let's go home and have some!" she commented. Just then, the doorbell rang. Everyone looked at it.

"Who could that be?" said Suguru, as he went downstairs. Opening the door, he saw no one. He went outside and really searched about before retreating.

Meanwhile, at the doghouse, Slash laughed to himself. "I could keep this up all night long."

The girls all left, each giving him a reminder as they trooped out.

"We can get you at any time, so watch out," said Rin, winking playfully at him.

"Never underestimate the power of a girl," said Miyuki, running a finger under his chin.

Chizo came by, munching down the popcorn. "I'll return the bowl tomorrow."

Mahoro stopped to talk to him. "Make sure you lock all the doors and windows. I should be back by 10 am. And thank you again." Suguru watched as they giggled and laughed on their way out of the yard, waving to him as the gate closed with a goodly CLANK.

Holding for a moment, Suguru tip-toed over to the gate and looked down the street, making sure they were well on their way home. Once assured of that, he bolted back into the house, locking the front door. "Where are you guys?" he called out, as he checked all the latches.

The closet door opened and the guys tumbled out, Hamadi releasing his load of magazines. He lay on his back, panting and wheezing. Suguru gathered up his treasures and placed them back into the closet hiding space. Once that was done, they all looked at one another and sighed.

"Somehow, I'm now not all that interested in things like that," said Kawahara.

"If I don't see those girls again, it will be too soon," said Hamadi

Suguru pondered. "My concern is which one of them came up with this cruel idea."

"From what I heard, it was Rin's idea, but Mahoro really pushed it along." Kawahara stood up and stretched. "And I thought she was so nice. There is some kind of wicked streak in her. She bears closer watching."

The guys sat in the living room. "Why are those girls so mean?" said Hamadi "I am soaked. I need a bath."

"I think we all need a bath," said Suguru. "Let's get some supplies and head down to the bathhouse."

Meanwhile, the girls were giggling on the way home. "That was really, REALLY great!" said Chizo, finishing off the last of the popcorn.

"You know, I had a good time, although that was kind of a mean trick to play on Suguru," said Mahoro. "Still, I wouldn't mind doing it again." She made a small snicker.

Rin wiped her brow. "I think I need a bath."

"I think we all could use one," said Miyuki. "Let's head on down to the bathhouse."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 324 DAYS**

End Notes

Some might say that Mahoro would never do anything this mean to Suguru, but she did play along with the ruse that the Trio pulled on all the boys in the school during the Ghost Hunting episode. Perhaps she doesn't see it as mean as more just some good old fun.

I mean, she sees nothing wrong with giving Shikijo a goodly conk on the head (Dance of the Dead Festival), threatening to blow her up (the trip to the amusement park), preparing to throw her out with the trash (Christmas episode) or setting a trap in her house as she was not really doing her part to seek out the ecchi (the Summer TV Special) but all of this is done with a sense of humor and not genuine vindictiveness.

I mean, these traps are set and only someone of a craven mind would fall into it (and it always seems to be Shikijo who falls into it.)

Part of my inspiration for this portion comes from a segment in "Love Hina", when the girls try to keep Naru from meeting an old flame who is staying at the Hinata House. I was a bit more hamstrung in my approach, as the key person (Mahoro) isn't supposed to know of the other two guys, while everyone else does, but it's just this overall farcical approach to the whole thing.

Farce is hard in print, as you need the visual aspect of it. I had a friend who wrote a farce play and it was hysterical, as people ran in and out of closets and slid under beds and even got out on the ledge to scamper from one room to another (it was set in a hotel). I only hope that I was able to put it off.

Someone once asked this question: "If a person is speaking Japanese, how do you know if they are stuttering?" Certainly to a Western ear, I could not detect that. I bring that up, owing to the title of one of the magazines, "It's D-D-Delightful", alluding to the fact that the women are rather busty in it.

When I worked at Tower Books/Records/Video, I used to collect the flyers for the latest "adult" movie releases and they had silly title like that. Some of those titles I cannot repeat here, but with other offerings like "The Pornbirds" and "The Load Warrior", my title isn't all that off-base.

I was considering doing an episode when Suguru goes to all of his better hiding places about the house for his ecchi, but I would at least need a stronger idea of how it was set up so I could have some rather creative storage areas.

I mean, for the closet, that one is easy. My wife's grandmother once owned this enormous house. In the bathroom was a tongue-in-groove cabinet. She pointed me towards a tiny hole, which looked like a nail had worked itself out of the wood. She stuck a straightened-out paper clip into the hole (although, in grandma's day, it would have been a hat pin).

That released a catch to reveal a hidden compartment of some size (although when I saw it, it was empty of treasures). Although not described in detail, that is was I imagined for Suguru, but we want to concentrate on the story, not the minutiae.

.


	11. Chapter 11, An Evening WithSaori

"An Evening with…Saori"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

September 10th

The key rattled in the knob but the door would not open. Grunting could be heard as a body slammed against the door. Once, twice, thrice. It then flew open suddenly and Saori Shikijo almost went sprawling onto the cluttered floor of her apartment

Regaining her balance, she shut the door and dropped the homework assignments on a nearby chair. But the chair already had junk on it and the paperwork was scattered with the rest of the trash that was strewn all about the floor of her modest abode.

She went into her bedroom, and carefully took off her clothing. Her room, just as messy as the rest of the place, had a dressmaker's model standing to one side. She placed her clothing onto it and meticulously cleaned off the lint and hairs of the day.

A nearby roll of masking tape was used to lift off a variety of debris and detritus from the outfit. She grabbed a brush and took care of any stubborn items, and then made an examination for any stains or spots on the garment, necessitating a trip to the dry cleaners. When it was perfect, she carefully hung it up, placing it in a garment bag. She treated her clothing very delicately, in stark contrast to the rest of her apartment, which looked worse than any dorm room or frat house.

Throwing on a tank top, she made her way to the kitchen, where she got a beer from the fridge and drained it. "Ahhhhh! The nectar of the Gods," she remarked as the last of it was gurgled down. She let the empty can clatter to the floor. As she went for another beer, the phone rang. She got it by the third ring.

"Hello, Ms. Shikijo. Oh, hi, Mom. What can I do for you? Pick up Shiori tomorrow? Uh…why can't you? I mean….Look, you send her to Shirakiku Girls Academy, a very prestigious private college affiliate. I was sent to Hiritsu #4 Junior High, where I now teach. OK? It gets to be a bit mortifying. Then it was Cromartie High. No, I'm not complaining…that much, but it's about…. They can't drop her off and…of course I love my sister, but…a new term has started for me and…..all I have is the Vespa to pick her up! That is a bit of a cozy ride for one, much less two."

Saori began to play with a beer can on the floor with her toe as her mother spoke to her, the expression on her face getting more and more sour.

"OK…yes…but I…that is…what about…I mean…after all and…all right, you win. I'll pick her up after my school gets out and bring her to my place. The absolute earliest I can get there is 4:30. Let her know that. Fine, you can retrieve her from here. See you tomorrow." As she hung up the phone, she looked about the apartment. Garbage dumps were better organized. She would have to clean up, as Shiori was such a neatnik. But where to start? It would have to be the sink.

As she approached it, she looked unhappy. There must be a week's worth of dishes in there. She sighed. "If I only had a maid. A maid!?" She stomped on an errant beer can, crushing it flat.

"I bet that flat-chested tart would love it if I called her over to assist me! 'Help me, Obi-Wan Mahoro; you're my only hope.' Bah!" Saori clattered to the bottom of the sink, plugged the drain and started the hot water. "Sure, she would clean this place up, but I would never hear the end of what a slob I am. I am a very busy woman with a lot of things to do and having to keep things tidy is not one of them."

The sink filled with soapy water and she began to wash the dishes. "I would probably end up throwing her out a window anyway. Her sparkling personality and happy demeanor would drive me crazy. And those endlessly annoying cheerful tunes. 'I see a little pebble, lying in the road, if I should trip over it, I would plunge to my flaming doom at the end of the bottomless chasm!' Grrrrrr!"

The more she thought about Mahoro, the harder she scrubbed the dishes. Every piece of grime reminded Saori of Mahoro and it was attacked with a fervor bordering on zealotry. Even the most stuck-on food fragments were no match for the anger of Saori. She began to think of what it was like when Mahoro did the dishes…..

The evening dishes were being done as Mahoro sang her happy tunes. "There hardly is a reason, for one to be that glum, for all you need is a reason in your heart, and you will be happy, happy again."

Dish after dish was done with economy and efficiency. She then sensed Suguru behind her. "Mahoro, I could watch you wash dishes all day long. You seem to make it almost fun to do," Suguru burbled.

Not turning about, Mahoro spoke. "There is no reason why any job needs to be 'work', as long as you have the right attitude, it can all be fun." Just then, Suguru came close and put her arms about Mahoro.

"Other things can be fun as well, Mahoro, like making the bed."

Mahoro laughed, "You are such a naughty, naughty boy, Suguru…….."

Saori threw her scrub brush into an empty sink, the clattering bringing her out of her fantasy realm. Sooner than she had considered, the sink was free of dishes. Looking over to the dishes in the rack, they looked as good the day she had bought them. She rinsed the sink down so it, too, was sparkling.

With the dishes washed and drying, she began to pick up all the trash scattered about. "I have to admit, she did do an excellent job with the Misato 'Haunted House'. I mean, it was like a completely different home; so neat and trim. Almost like something you see in those better homes magazines. But, I wouldn't want her here, anyway. She would comment that I drink too much beer and that, as a teacher, I have to set a good example for the students.

"And to make matters worse, Shiori is almost the same. Talk about two peas in a pod! She is always getting mad at me for drinking too much and dressing improperly. I know she will report back to Mom and Dad about how I treated her. I just can't seem to catch a break, no matter what I do." Bag after bag was filled with the recyclables until the floor could be seen. Bag after bag of recyclables were piled by the door.

Each of the rooms was freed of debris as Saori went on. "I just lead an involved life. I'm sure Einstein didn't have a neat house. And what about the great poet Basho? I bet he didn't have someone complaining about his mess, as he composed another classic haiku, like 'old pond, a frog jumps, the sound of water'. So why am I treated so much differently?"

With the last of the floor cleaned, she grabbed a broom and swept everything up, generating a rather large pile of dust, food bits, random hairs and other detritus. She even took the extra step of going out onto the porch and shaking the rug free of its mess, as she coughed the entire time. She raised a cloud of dirt and grime and the rug was pounded against the railing. "I hope my downstairs neighbors have their doors closed," she muttered as the beating continued. Eventually, all the bags were taken down to the waste area.

Wiping her brow, she was a bit embarrassed at the sheer amount of trash she had generated. "Maybe I shouldn't let things get too out of hand. Perhaps I can make just a bit of extra time each week to stay on top of it all." With that task completed, a mountain of bags at the trash pick-up spot showing her results, she came back up to attend to the rest of the apartment. She put books back on the shelves, but was muttering the entire time.

"What makes Shiori so special that she gets to go to the Academy? Hirutsu? Was that even a school? All the work I had to do to get where I was and she…she gets everything! I can't do much about her, but I can do something about Mahoro. I can out-point her when I need to. Suguru needs a real woman to show him the way to adulthood, not her! 'Dirty thoughts are bad.' Well, what other kinds of thoughts are worth considering?"

Heading into the bedroom, clothing was either put into drawers or the dirty clothes hamper. The bed was made, even though she would be using it later that evening. As she worked on the bathroom, she slipped into one of her salacious thoughts about Suguru….

It was a lovely candlelit dinner, with just the two of them. The balmy evening weather drifted in through the opened porch door. Saori was wearing her violin dress, which clung tightly about her. Suguru's will was crumbling as she turned on the charm.

"I…I…I….." Suguru was having a hard time getting his thoughts out as Saori came close, to give him a bit more food.

"I made this dinner, especially with you in mind," she purred. She brushed against his drink and it spilled into his lap. "Oh, my, I am such a klutz. Let's get you dried off before you catch a chill." She took him by the hand and led him towards the back area.

"No, that's OK. I'll be fine. It's only a little tea and…" His protests fell on deaf ears as they entered the bedroom.

"Now, let's get you into something a bit more comfortable," said Saori, as he helped Suguru out of his soaking pants. "Oh, my, it went all the way through. We do not need you to be getting a fever now, do we?" She went to a drawer and pulled out a pair of silk shorts, hanging them off of two fingers for him to take. "This might be more to your liking. Come along; change out so we can dry those things…."

"Ms. Shikijo? Is this even…proper?" Suguru was sweating profusely.

Saori began to unbutton his dampening shirt. "Of course it is, but if you are going to get that sweaty, let's give you a real reason for it."

Suguru then collapsed into her cleavage. "Yes! Yes! Show me the way! Show……"

Saori then looked about the room. Neat and trim, nothing was out of place at all. How could this have happened? she pondered. She heard the clock chime. It was still rather early, so she then stared over to the pile of laundry. She rubbed her chin in thought. She could get it all done tonight, and use the time in between loads to restock the fridge. Maybe even have a small dinner for the family done up. That would show Mom, yes!

She grabbed the clothes and her supplies and headed to the laundry room. It was deserted, for a change. Great! She took over three machines, got them going, and then headed to the store for a few items.

As she prowled the aisles, she sighed. She could not figure out how Mahoro made even simple dishes taste outstanding, but there was no way she would ask for the recipes. Even though she had made it into the finals of the Cooking Shogun Roadshow, Mahoro put on such a magnificent performance that her tuna stroganoff was a distant second. Runner-up again. She furrowed her brow in disappointment.

Shikijo pondered for a fleeting moment having Mahoro come over and cook for her, but, as long as Mahoro tolerated the near-nightly visits from her, she would never really go hungry and there was no need to really learn much more than was necessary.

It wasn't that she was that shabby of a cook; there was just no time to do it, much less the time to really do it properly. I mean, if I was a maid and could spend all day doing this or that, my meals would rival the top restaurants in all of Japan, she thought. Grabbing the basics to at least keep Shiori happy, she headed back home.

By the time she returned, the washing was done, so the drying could commence. Groceries were put away and she went to the dining room table and began to correct the test papers, which somehow were stacked neatly on the table. "Odd, I don't recall doing that." What was really going on around here? Gremlins? Kindly spirits? Perhaps she was actually living in an alternate reality and had been sucked through a vortex.

Sitting down, she began going through the papers. She started shaking her head 'no'. "I cannot believe that I am that bad of a teacher that they do not understand the concepts. This student is about as smart as a sack of doorknobs." When she got to Suguru's test, she laid that aside, pondering it. "He could really use some private tutoring………"

There was a knock on the door of Room 2-4. "Come in," called out Saori and Suguru entered. There is a lamb-like innocence to him, she thought.

"You….wanted to see me?" He was nervous.

"Yes, it is about your last test grade. Please shut the door." He shut the door and came over to her desk. She laid the paperwork out and had him look at it. "Please sit down at my desk. Now, what do you see wrong?"

Suguru was puzzled as he stared at the test. "Uh….this says I got them all right? I don't understand. What could be wrong?"

Saori leaned in to present her fulsome self to him. Suguru's eyes fluttered. Where to look? Look at her eyes and be mesmerized or stare into the depths of her cleavage. His glasses began to fog over as Shikijo spoke. "This is what's wrong: all work and no play make Suguru a dull boy. You need to take a break from this hard work. You need to….relax."

"But….but Mahoro helps me relax." Suguru swallowed hard.

"You need someone a bit more…..experienced, to help you relax in a special way. And that someone is me." Oozing charm from every pore, she stared deeply into Suguru's eyes. "Someone who knows the way." She began to trace her fingers about the buttons on his shirt.

"Uh, the way of the Ninja?" Suguru didn't know what to do, especially when Shikijo undid one of his shirt buttons.

"The way a growing young boy thinks and what he REALLY needs…………"

The door banged open. "Dirty thoughts are bad!"

Saori turned about to see Mahoro standing there, her hair horns twitching. "If anyone is going to show Suguru the way to being a man, it will be me, not some dried up old radish!" She then removed her maid outfit in a swift, single movement to reveal herself in rather provocative underwear.

"Is that your game? Well, I can play it, too!" And she removed her clothes as well. Mahoro gasped as Saori was very revealing in her undergarments. Saori made a fake yawn as she leaned towards Suguru. "If you want to walk the runway and put on a fashion show for him, we can, but you will come up a poor second." Saori turned to Suguru. "And what do YOU think, Suguru-kun?"

Suguru, stared at the both of them, then passed out………..

DING!

Saori looked up. All the papers were graded and stacked to one side, ready to take to school tomorrow. "Uh…..laundry!" She went down to see the clothes still spinning about. With nothing else to do, she watched the clothes jump and dance. She sighed. "Why do my clothes get more fun tumbling about than I do?"

The buzzers went off and she took them out and folded them in the room, bringing them up in the basket. Nice and warm, they were all put away. But she felt funny. Something was out of place. She did a tour of the apartment. Everything was done. Done?

One could enter the apartment and not trip over something or feel that if you fell down, you would be lost forever in a sea of trash and beer cans. She did a slow inspection of everything to see that there was nothing out of place or unattended to. A glance at the clock revealed it was done in record time. There was even a little time left to go to the bathhouse and clean up.

She sniffed under her arms. "Whooooooooo! My deodorant has failed me. I certainly can't be in my finest form. How can I rock when I reek?" Gathering up her bathing supplies, she headed out again into the fall night.

As she walked towards the baths, she was lost in thought. She still could not understand how it was possible everything was done. Fully done and completed. Things were set up for the following day so she didn't have to rush about and feel forced. All throughout her bath, she thought and thought and thought. It just did not add up.

As she soaked in the waters, barely feeling the luxuriousness of it all, she was deeply immersed in her thoughts. There just had to be fairies or sprites or some other kind of mystical woodland creatures that helped her along? Did the laws of time and space get altered? When she gets back home, would she discover that she really had lost a week of time and Shiori was hopelessly waiting for her to arrive at the Academy?

She toweled off and got dressed, still deeply immersed in her thoughts. She walked the quiet streets back to her apartment, still deeply immersed in her thoughts. She entered her apartment and locked the door, still deeply immersed in her thoughts. She got ready for bed, still deeply immersed in her thoughts.

As she was drifting off to sleep, she snapped awake and got up to look around one more time: under beds, in closets, around the bookcase, through the kitchen, a veritable tour of the apartment, still stunned at all she was able to accomplish all that she did in a mere evening.

Satisfied that it wasn't a fantasy or her imagination, she crawled back into bed. With the light turned off, she lay in the darkness, waiting sleep to overtake her; however, one thought kept going through her mind: "This is definitely strange."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 312 DAYS**

End Notes

Out of all of the people Mahoro knows, Saori is the most interesting. There is so much not known about her and a variety of clues leads one to believe that she may be an android or alien.

Now, we know that androids can drink and get drunk (seen in both the manga and the anime), but never have a hangover. Also, she never really seems to age (as seen in the final episode). Plus, comments Mahoro makes during the Dark Arts Festival adds to this suspicion that she is definitely not what she appears to be.

I have decided, for this story, to treat her like a real person and not an alien or android.

In fact, if you never read the manga, you would not know that she has two sisters, much less a really younger one (the same age as Suguru). Now, how old the older sister is (Yes, Saori is the child in the middle) is never mentioned and I didn't bother to bring the eldest daughter up at all for this tale. How much do you honestly know of her? Some things, sure, but you know just enough to know you don't know enough.

But the youngest sister is only mentioned in the manga, as is the academy. In fact, the episode in Season Two, where they go looking for a bomb on campus, actually has its roots in the manga for this time in November.

Shirakiku is actually a Vesper-caliber academy and a Management (or Keepers) rogue member had planted 50 bombs on the campus. 48 were found, but the last two were very stubborn. Mahoro was asked to enroll as a student to facilitate the discovery of the bombs. This "event" took place over a 10-day arc (November 17th to 26th).

The reference to Cromartie High School is that it is another manga/anime and that is one weird school. I do not think it is co-ed, but it just seemed like a good fit for her and her odd happenings.

The violin dress? Although this is a bit early in the overall story line, in one of the later manga stories, Saori goes to the park in the evening to play a violin. Although Mahoro and Suguru never actually see her, it is Saori doing a masterful execution of her instrument. She wears a special dress for just that occasion, thus I have dubbed it the violin dress. If it was black (OK, the manga is in black and white, but it is implied that it is another color) you would have called it a cocktail dress. It is certainly that style.

I chose the date that I did, as I wanted school to be in session, but that she is a bit unaware of the true machination of Ryuga at this time. The time line is a bit uncertain, but key points are known.

Ryuga saves Chizo on 8/31 (and the firefight on the roof of the Green Star Refined Sake building is later that same night), Mahoro pulls the gun on Ryuga at the school on 9/13 and the lunch at Suguru's house is on 9/21, which sets into motion the day at the theme park in Yokohama (9/22) and the Big Hospital Fight (in the early morning hours of 9/23.)

I did find it rather odd that she lives in an apartment that has no bath/shower. Perhaps this is a cultural thing and the bathhouse is more than just a place to bath and catch up on the latest gossip, but I just cannot see myself, naked, in front of a bunch of other people, naked. It's like high school gym class all over again (except no one is snapping a towel at my butt.)

As to the haiku poem she quotes, some of you will say that it is not the proper beats, and that it true, for that is the English translation. The original version, with the proper beats, goes: _furuike ya / kawazu tobikomu / mizu no oto. _This is considered one of Basho's most famous haikus, if not THE most famous.


	12. Chapter 12, A Thorough Exam

"A Thorough Exam"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

September 23rd

It was still dark when Mahoro arrived back at the Misato household. Alighting on the front porch, she sent the Sylpheed on its way and brought Suguru inside.

He seemed delirious and disoriented, muttering on about things. I will never forgive Ryuga for striking Suguru, snarled Mahoro, as she took Suguru upstairs. He has no real idea how fragile humans are.

She placed Suguru in her bed, as it was the largest bed in the house. "I do not want him falling out of bed and hurting himself even more," she mumbled. Laying him down, she took off his shoes and his belt, then covered him up. She put her hand on his head and he felt feverish, a bruise on the side of his face slowly appearing.

She quickly changed out of her warrior uniform and into her maid uniform. She went downstairs for a bowl of water and a washrag, which she brought back up and began to wipe his face down, trying to reduce both the fever and the swelling. That is going to be one nasty bruise, she thought.

The phone rang and she jumped from the surprise, nearly spilling the bowl. Gathering herself together, she got to the phone at the second ring. Who would be calling this early? she wondered. "Hello, Misato residence."

"Mahoro, this is Professor Hokaze."

"Yes, Professor Hokaze, what can I do for you?" Mahoro looked over at the clock. 5:10 am.

"Answer some questions for me, please. I was called in early to try and puzzle out some anomalies which have occurred. We show a tremendous amount of energy being expended in the region of the deserted Hiryu Hospital a few hours ago, the discharge of an anti-matter compression cannon and a power failure that plunged the region into darkness. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?"

"Well…..." Mahoro hedged.

"Yeah. I need you to come into HQ. Immediately." She had never heard Professor Hokaze so upset and terse.

"I will be there as fast as I can." CLICK. Staring at the phone, she looked perturbed as she removed her brooch. "I summon the Fang!" Moments later, Slash appeared, ready for action.

"Yes, Mahoro."

"I need you to keep an eye on Suguru." She gestured to the figure in bed, moving restlessly. "I do not want him wandering about or doing anything that may injure him more. I have to go to Vesper HQ and speak with Professor Hokaze."

"I'm not surprised. It wasn't like you could keep something like this hidden from them. You should have called for help."

"I…I had to do this alone. Honor among warriors." Mahoro was resolute.

Slash snorted. "That's a laugh. If Ryuga had any real honor, he would have walked away from it in the first place. That…thing has no honor and, what's more, never will!"

Mahoro pointed her finger at Slash. "You watch over Suguru. I will be back as soon as I can."

"Knowing Professor Hokaze, it will be all day. But I will do as you order."

Mahoro went outside. Dawn was just extending her fingers on the horizon. "I had better do this quickly, lest I draw attention to myself," said Mahoro. Leaping up to the roof, she called upon the Sylpheed and moments later, disappeared into the sky, looking to all like a twinkling star.

The trip to Vesper HQ gave her just enough time to wonder what was going to happen. Professor Hokaze was a rather hard person to understand, as one never knew how he would react to things. The gravest situations barely caused a stir in him, whereas trivial matters had him crawling the walls. He could be stern and forgiving. Whatever would happen, she knew that she had a lot to answer for.

The early morning air was just chilled enough so it took away some of her leftover heat from both the battle and the tension she felt for Suguru. Tokyo, with its massive skyline, came into view. The Vesper Building looked like another soulless steel-and-glass monolith. Good. Draw little attention to yourself, the first rule of survival, mulled Mahoro.

As she neared the roof, she could make out some figures and something else. Getting closer, she saw Dr. Hokaze, a couple of assistants and a gurney. This is odd, she thought, as she landed on the helipad. As the Sylpheed soared away, Professor Hokaze came up to her. "I need you to get onto the gurney."

"But…but I feel fine," she protested.

"Please, for me. Get onto the gurney." Please? This WAS serious, thought Mahoro. As she was helped onto the gurney, one of the assistants strapped her in. Not tightly, but with a firmness. She was rolled into the waiting elevator.

When the doors closed, the doctor put his key in a special slot and turned it, then pushed the "SB2" button. The elevator descended swiftly to the bottom floors. One of the assistants made a face. It must be nice not to have to worry about leaving your stomach behind, Mahoro pondered, as she looked at the doctor. She felt he really wanted to say something to her, but just couldn't bring himself to do so. The only sound was the ding as each floor was passed

Once they reached their floor, the doors opened and she was wheeled out. The professor's room was capacious by anyone's standards, with huge banks of computers, odd and arcane machinery about the walls and a massive raised central floor that could double as an operating theater. She was wheeled into the center and her restraints removed.

"Thank you both, "said the professor. "You may leave us." The doctor watched as the aides got back into the elevator and disappeared. He then turned his attention to Mahoro. "I need you to get into this hospital gown," he remarked, holding out the white garment. As she took it, the doctor walked to a nearby desk and put on an rather strange-looking optical device

She got off the gurney and proceeded to remove her maid outfit. She noticed that the doctor was looking at her while she divested herself of the uniform, but he was really searching for something. The device beeped and whirred and made odd noises as he poured over her. "Socks as well, please," he reminded her, pointing towards her feet. The clothing was placed on the gurney very neatly and Mahoro stood in the cold light of the exam area.

The professor motioned her over to a bed in the middle of the well-lit theater, taking off the device as they walked over. "Please, lie down. I have to run some tests." She placed herself on the table and the doctor began to attach a series of wires and monitoring devices all about her. He then turned on the equipment, which began to display a vast amount of data.

The professor moved between the banks of monitors. "So, do you want to tell me what happened out there? I need to know, as I do not really like what I am seeing."

"Tou Ryuga. I met him at…"

The professor looked at her from across the room. "Ryuga? Saint's greatest warrior android? Here? When did he get here?"

"He first arrived on August 31st."

"August 31st?" The professor looked at some notes on a clipboard. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the Green Star Refined Sake building fire later that evening, would it?"

"It would. He battled me there." Mahoro was almost blasé about the fact.

"What? What happened?" Hokaze's eyes bulged out.

"Well, it was more of a test, checking for weaknesses. Nothing came of it." Mahoro wanted to allay the professor's fears.

The professor closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Let's see what's inside, OK?" He rolled over a large screen and turned it on. For him, it displayed all of Mahoro's internal workings. "No stress fractures, no cracks or breaks, no ruptures or external damage. That's a relief." The machine was turned off and rolled away. He returned to his monitors and tapped in some information. He noticeably sagged, flopping into the chair.

"Tell me what happened at the hospital." She saw the professor trembling as he turned.

"Are you…angry with me?" Mahoro was disturbed by his actions.

He came right over to her. "I could never be angry at you. I am angry at the situation, I am frustrated by the circumstances, I am upset at the turn of events, I am…." Mahoro saw the tiniest tear trickle down his cheek. "I….I have to go to the bathroom," and he scampered away.

Mahoro heard the door slam hard. What was going on? The machinery whirred and hummed, spitting out reams of paper, tabulating miles of data and monitoring her vital functions. The professor came out, but with a completely different demeanor.

"Tell me the whole story." Mahoro saw he was fighting to keep himself in check.

"He challenged me to a duel."

The professor was concerned. "This is not normal behavior. This is something more personal, as aspect we did not feel they allowed themselves to have. But why didn't you call for help? We would have come."

"This is something I felt I had to do and settle it once and for all."

The doctor sighed. "Your warrior training. I can understand your feelings in that matter, but you have got to understand the Mahoro of the battlefield is no longer you. You are only about a third of what you really were. You just can't plunge into fights without thinking."

He looked over a few other monitors, and then came back to her. "I am having a hard time understanding how you could have missed with the anti-matter round. I know it is a rather slow weapon, but I didn't think he was that fast."

"I didn't miss. He took a direct hit."

"Oh, good, so he was destroyed, that's a relief." The professor had half a smile as he got up and went back to the monitors. "Well, that's over and done with."

"He wasn't destroyed, Professor Hokaze. He had a Radon Front coating on his armor that completely deflected the blast." He looked up at her, panic overtaking his face.

"WHAT!? Nothing has been known to survive that caliber of blast. If Saint is planning a new wave of invasions with that level of technology…"

"They aren't." Mahoro was very assured in her tone.

He shuddered as he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to comprehend all this. "You're telling me this android has a vendetta against YOU, wearing a power suit that deflected, absorbed or dissipated the full energy of anti-matter, just to prove something to himself? You can understand my concern."

"But he also stopped the attack. I was about to use Shining Darkness on him when…"

"NO! NO, NO, NO!" Hokaze leapt from his seat, the chair careening across the length of the floor and crashing against some equipment. He writhed about, as though he had been attacked by the worst migraine headache ever. He rushed over to her. "In your reduced condition, that would be immediate…….." He gasped and panted and shut his eyes tight. Grasping Mahoro's hands, he put his head on the bed. Mahoro was at a loss for words. The last time she felt this badly was when she saw young Suguru sobbing at the funeral for Commander Misato.

"Mahoro, you really don't know what you mean to all of us here." The words seemed so alien coming from Professor Hokaze. Mahoro looked down as he looked up and their eyes met. "You are so very special to us all, and not because you are a warrior android. You are more than mere machinery. You are the little sister I never had, you are another daughter for Commander Daimon, you are Secretary Shiina's best friend."

He stood up and began to remove all the probes and monitors and tracking devices from her, speaking the whole time. "We never want to see any harm befall you. I know it may seem at times that we have forgotten you, but that is not the case; that has never been the case. Come with me."

He helped her to her feet and they went over to an isolated area of the room. There was a stand-alone cubical. Inside was a desk, a chair, a monitor, a PC tower and stacks of paper. Entry into the cubical was roped off, and a larger chained-off area surrounded it. They both went in and the doctor tapped the keyboard. The monitor came to life showing a schematic.

"That…" said the doctor, pointing at the screen, "…that is you." Mahoro was confused. "That is the energy unit that powers you. Everyday, I come down here and ponder its mysteries. EVERY day, for at least two hours. I try and figure out what I can do to stop the clock or slow down the clock or reverse the clock."

He gestured to the voluminous piles of paperwork. "Endless calculations and tests, simulations and scenarios, thoughts and ideas. In fact, this system has an independent power supply, so if anything happens to the community grid, it will continue to run. That's how we knew about the battle this morning."

"It's rather odd that you had this battle, as I was going to call you in today anyway and run a test on you. This latest experiment held out great promise in the simulations and I wanted to really try it."

Mahoro brightened up. "Do you think it will work?"

"I certainly hope so." Taking her by the hand, they went back to the main table. Laying her down, he placed a sensor on her head and wheeled over an enormous piece of equipment, looking more like a stamping press.

"What I hope to do is a kind of recharging. At the very least, buy ourselves some more time. Just relax and let me worry about things." He went behind a protective screen and threw some switches. Mahoro felt energy surging through her. She looked over to see Hokaze fiddling with knobs and reading printouts.

Mahoro was aware that her hair was standing outwards. I guess from all this energy, she mused. She could feel tingling sensations at her toes and fingertips. Her nose felt itchy and her eyelids twitched. She tried to remember what it felt like when she was in combat mode and all that power, but she didn't feel appreciatively different then or now. How would she know if it really worked?

She lay there for a good 10 minutes, lost in her thoughts, and then the power was shut off. The doctor came out with a printout and was not happy. This made Mahoro sad.

"It…it didn't work, did it?" Mahoro was crestfallen.

"I can't seem to reenergize in this manner." He rolled the machine away and began to remove the sensor. "Not even the tiniest bit of change in anything."

"So, it failed?"

The doctor smiled and shook his head 'no'. "No, it didn't fail; I just discovered another way NOT to recharge you. All I need is one way TO do it. I'll keep at it. The answer is out there and I still have many more places to explore. Do not worry; I will find that way."

Mahoro clouded over a bit. "There…there is something I need to ask."

"And that is?"

"Uh…why has my request for a breast operation been denied?" Hokaze was taken aback by the request.

"Oh, well, as I said, I think of you as my little sister and I do not want anything bad to happen to you. I want people to take you seriously and focus on the person you are. The…larger breasts would distract people from who you are and focus it on what you have. You would no longer be taken seriously and thought of as less."

"I…see."

"Big breasts are not indicative of the person behind them. You are kind of heart, pure of heart and gentle of heart and that means a lot more than large breasts ever will. But, Mahoro, I will make you this promise: the day I crack the energy problem and bring you in to make things right, I will make ALL things right and give you what you request."

"You…will?" Mahoro's eyes glistened.

He sat her upright, removing the probe. "I promise. I wish there was more I could do for you today, I really do, but I cannot and I still have to write that report for Don Vesper. I want you to go home and take it easy for the rest of today. As soon as I am finished with him, I'll be right back down here, working for you."

Helping her off the table, he led her over to where she could get dressed, but this time, he turned his back to offer her some privacy. When she was set and ready to go, they went to the elevator for the ride to the roof. Again, Mahoro could sense the doctor wanted to say more, but potentially chose not to do so.

The sun was low in the sky, but the day had definitely arrived. Before she could call the Sylpheed, Professor Hokaze spoke to her. "Mahoro, I need a promise from you. A very big promise." She turned to look at him.

"You are not alone. You are never alone. Please, promise me that if a situation like this should ever arise again, call for backup. You abilities are just as good as ever; it's that you…promise that you will call for help. You mean a lot to me." He went over and gave her a big hug. Mahoro was a bit stunned by this display of emotions.

"I…I will. I will call for backup. I promise," she whispered.

"Thank you for that." Hokaze stepped back to look at. "Take care now, Mahoro," he said, as she called the Sylpheed to take her to the Misato household. As the doctor watched her disappear into the sky, his cell phone rang.

"Hokaze here. Yes, sir, I'll be writing the report up in a few minutes. Short version is this particular experiment to restore energy did not work. As to amount of energy damage she took in her battle….yes, I'll explain about that as well…I am still tabulating this, but…yes, and I…I am aware of…yes, that is on the agenda and…I haven't forgotten and…yes…yes…yes…yes…but…Will you shut up for one sacred minute!?

"The longer I jabber here means the longer it will take to get the report done! Cliff Notes version! She could have lost 20 days! I have to fully crunch the numbers! Sir, I am totally and painfully aware of all of this! I will deliver my report in one hour!" He closed down the phone smartly and stared at it, clutching it until his knuckles turned white, then strode back into the elevator.

Mahoro arrived at home and let herself in. Going up to her room, she saw Slash on the floor in front of the bed. She whispered to him. "How is Suguru?"

"He has been still, but he seems delirious. You got back in record time from the Professor."

"I did, didn't I? Thank you, Slash. I'll take over from here." When Slash left, she shut the door and changed into her pajamas. She went over to stroke Suguru's brow and looked at the bruise, now dark and unpleasant.

He stirred. "Mom? Mom, is that you? I missed you so," he muttered

"I will be here for you, Suguru. I will be here for you as long as I can." Then she got into bed with Suguru, holding him tight, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 299 DAYS.**

End Notes

This is one of those rare instances that I call "Further Days". In the anime and the manga, this tale concludes in the early morning hours of the 23rd. OK, but what about the REST of the day?

I take this as a grand opportunity to not really give up a day while I expand on events that have occurred. I felt there was no possible way that Vesper did not learn about this, albeit after the fact, nor were they going to stand idly by while a Saint warrior android was being rogue, as that would cause dramatic problems with this fragile truce.

It also fills in the massive gaps. One has the distinct impression that, despite all the lip service paid to Mahoro from Vesper, about all she had done for them, there seems to be very little action to try and correct the situation of her Cease Function Day, or even why they put her into that predicament in the first place.

I always had the sneaking suspicion that they really expected her to be destroyed on the battlefield and this issue never had to be tackled. They built her far too well and she surprised them all. Think about it. She turned the tide against the Saint Invasion and held them in check, and all she gets for her efforts is an extra 398 days. Some gratitude!

This topic was partially addressed in my story, "A Sprig of Hope", but I wanted to address it from the Vesper point of view. With the exception of the August 1st letter from Mahoro, there is relatively little contact with Vesper until the End Days (March 22nd to approximately April 7th). Technically, I have to include the dream sequence from the Season Two, Episode Four, with the 'booby missiles', as they "sent" it to her in the first place.

In fact, Professor Hokaze doesn't profess ANYTHING until after the horrendous beating she absorbs from Dr. Metherius, and that is in early April. Let's do something much, much earlier. This is set up in the first chapter of this series I am attempting. And speaking of boobies, we need to talk of that. What gives?

The greatest warrior android ever, Earth's finest weapon and we can't find a bit of money in the budget to spring for some augmentation so she feels happier in her end days? (OK, I know that if we give her the breasts, that ends the rivalry with Shikijo, right? OF COURSE NOT! Now, we have even greater possibilities for humor and fan service.)

The other troubling aspect is that Hokaze HIMSELF denied the claim (seemingly, much to everyone's relief), so what is troubling him? This is why I took the Big Bro approach, trying to protect his "little sister" about these things. At least Sub-Commander Gunji is a bit more honest with his feelings, but they are still a rather closeted bunch. They need to be more human; I hope this does something towards that goal.

Oh, getting into bed with Suguru. I really hope that this comes off as a friendly gesture and not something more. Holding him close means holding herself close, a tenderness and familial warmth that Suguru and Mahoro both need, now more than ever.


	13. Chapter 13, Sick Call

"Sick Call"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

October 7th

Mahoro arose early, as she did every morning. Mahoro moved sluggishly, as she did every morning. Mahoro dressed herself slowly, as she did every morning. But no matter how she felt, whether she wanted another hour or two of sleep, she could not afford herself that luxury.

It was important to her that she present Suguru with a good impression every morning. Not only was she to be physically prepared for the day, but mentally prepared as well. She never wanted him to see her as though she had slept under a bus: hair all flyaway, a grumpy-looking face, tired and lethargic.

After splashing some water in her face and taking in a good, cleansing breath, she was ready. "It's time for another day of work!" As she left her room, she knocked on Suguru's door. "Time to get going," she called out, then headed downstairs to begin making breakfast and lunch for him.

Getting involved in her work, she had everything set and ready to go when she noticed no Suguru. She rolled her eyes. He must be sleeping in, thinking that it is Saturday. She headed upstairs and knocked on his door again. "Suguru, it's getting late and we don't want you to be tardy for another exciting day at school with all your friends."

She paused for a moment, but heard no response. She gingerly drifted the door open to see the room was still dark and Suguru in bed. Clicking on the light, she came over to him, finding that he was turned away. "Time to get up, sleepy head," she chirped as she rolled him onto his back. Suguru moaned.

She looked down at him with an unhappy face. Suguru appeared sick. His face was damp with sweat and his hair was all stringy with moisture. She knelt down and put her wrist on his forehead to feel his fever. "This is not good," she commented, as she arose and headed to the bathroom.

She came back with a digital thermometer, a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a tissue. As she neared Suguru, he broke into a racking cough, deep and throaty. When he spoke, it was not his voice at all, but a kind of demon frog.

"Mahoro, I…..I….fee…..feel……." then another spasm of coughing.

Mahoro began to wonder what he might have. A flu? A cold? The croup? It was hard to get the thermometer into him. He would either cough it out or gag on it. There are few things worse than feeling more miserable than you already are. Somehow, Mahoro was able to get a temperature from Suguru. She shook her head when she read the display. "38.4 C. You are definitely sick, Suguru."

He managed a weak smile. "I could have told you that," he croaked before he had another coughing fit. This one was so bad, he almost fell out of bed. "I just wish I knew how I got this."

Mahoro gave a wry smile. She had a strong idea where he got it. A couple of days earlier, she had chased Suguru in the night air. It started when she had to conk both Ryuga and Slash on the head for fighting with each other in the park. While she fed them and lectured them about living in harmony, Ryuga gave back to Suguru the copy of the ecchi book of Riho Asaoka he had confiscated from him earlier that day. It took Mahoro a good long time to chase Suguru down. He could have easily caught something during that pursuit.

"I will take care of you in a few minutes. There are some things I have to do first," she said to Suguru, as she wiped down the thermometer with the alcohol. Heading downstairs, she called the school to report the absence.

"That's a shame to hear," said the Attendance Officer. "He was in line for the Perfect Attendance Award for this year."

"As much as he may have wanted it, I do not think you want him keeling over in chemistry class," said Mahoro. "I hope the absence is just for today; otherwise I will call in tomorrow."

"I will make sure that Shikijo-sensei gets this message. You make certain he gets well."

"I will do my best. I also would like to get his homework assignments as well from everyone, if you please. Thank you." Hanging up the phone, Mahoro went into the kitchen to fix something for Suguru. Although she was not certain what he had, she could do some standard actions.

She reentered his room a bit later, carrying a tray. There was a glass of iced tea, some crackers, and a bowl of water with a face cloth in it. She placed the tray on his night stand, and then came over to help Suguru get seated upright. Once he was upright and no longer coughing, she started to wipe down his head with the face cloth.

Suguru closed his eyes. That felt really, really great. He did not realize how hot he was. When she put the rag on the back of his neck, it sent chills down his spine and he shook out of relief. "Ooooooh! Ahhhhhhh!" he commented. When that was all done, she gave him the glass of tea.

"Go ahead and drink that down, for starters," she said.

"But...but you don't know what I may have," he said, holding the glass. It did feel nice to grasp it, though, taking the edge off his body heat. Maybe I should just pour in on me, he thought.

"True, but I can find that out and we can also take some simple first steps. Push fluids, so you drink that. You also need something in you; the crackers will take care of that." Sitting at his computer, she turned it on and went to a general health page. As Suguru sipped, he watched as Mahoro tapped in some data, nodding the entire time.

She certainly is a fast typer, he thought, shivering, as another cold swallow eased his aching throat. After a few moments, she turned back around to face him.

"OK, it can be one of two things: Jergen's Myasthenia, a disease that causes parts of the body to fall off…"

"What?!" Suguru almost spilled his tea as Mahoro returned to the monitor.

"Hmmmm. Are you a 60-year old Middle European or been to South America lately?"

"No?"

"Then you have the flu with the croup. Hmm. Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmm. OK, I know what to do." She shut off the computer and came over to speak to him. He was slowly eating crackers between his coughing. "This is treated like any other flu, so it is the standard approach we have been doing: bed rest, pushing the fluids and keeping something in you at all times, like a clear soup for lunch. This also helps with the croup portion of it, where you need to breathe in hot fumes, like steam from a bath. This will break up the congestion and ease the coughing."

Suguru looked at her as he sipped and nibbled. "So, you want me to take a bath?"

"Yes, aside from making you feel better, it will help with the coughing. No cough medicine on this one. I will go out later to get some honey so we can spoon it into you and cut down on the throat irritation, but for now, this is what we will do." She helped Suguru out of bed and staggered him over to the bath, where she ran the hot water.

She left so he could get in and start to feel better. "I can't remember the last time I was this sick and…." He had a good cough to the point where it felt like he cracked a rib. He bent over, almost ready to pass out. It really hurt to cough. He stepped into the bath and had another fit. As he opened his eyes, he saw Mahoro standing there, ready to get into the bath with him.

Although it still bothered him when she did this, he felt too weak to resist. She came into the water and sat behind him, draping a towel over his head and lowering him close to the water. "I want you to breath in the vapors and dislodge that congestion."

This is definitely weird, he thought, as the steam was trapped beneath his towel canopy. He breathed in, but it was shallow. He felt Mahoro's arms wrapping about him.

"I know it might hurt you, but try to breathe in as deep as you can," she offered. It took a few tries to not cough up a lung, but he was able to do this. Between the warm water and Mahoro, he was feeling better. He also was feeling sleepy. Mahoro sensed this.

"Ahh, we will have no repeat of the first night here. Time to get you out of the tub and into bed." She helped him out and put him on a stool so he could dry himself off and she toweled down as well. When he was dressed, he was guided back to bed. Before he could lie down, Mahoro had him finish off another glass of tea.

He felt warm and cozy in bed. "You can go now, Mahoro. I think I want to take a nap." He closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes to see Mahoro still standing there. "That's OK, Mahoro. You can go now. I want to take a nap."

"Suguru, you just did. It's nearly one o'clock."

"What?" He looked over to the clock to confirm the time. "But…but…you just got me into bed."

"Yes, almost four hours ago. I have some soup for you as your lunch." He sat himself up as Mahoro laid a tray across his lap. He had a bowl of chicken soup and some more crackers, plus another glass of tea. He stared at the lunch, not moving. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"It's just that…." He glanced at the clock again. "I didn't dream. I closed my eyes, then I opened by eyes. It felt like no time passed at all."

"Perhaps I should take your temperature once again, before you eat." The thermometer went in and they waited, the beeping indicating that it had finished its testing. Mahoro took it out and read it. "37.7 C. You are still feverish, but an improvement from this morning. We may keep you home another day."

Suguru ate while Mahoro stood at the ready. When he was finished, she took the tray away. "Is there something else you would like? Should I read a story to you?"

Suguru pondered. "As nice as that sounds, I may not be able to really pay attention. It might be easier just to read the phone book instead." Then Suguru had a thought. "Do you want to tell me about yourself?"

Mahoro considered this for a moment. Was there anything really that interesting about her past? Suguru continued. "I mean, you don't have to talk about the battlefield, but what you did off of it, if you can or want to tell me."

"It's…it's not that. I mean…no one has really asked about what I used to do. Uh…..I remember one time; Vesper took over a hot springs that was in the mountains. I had never been to one before and it was just such a wonderful place. I soaked and soaked and soaked all night long. It was lovely to watch the stars twinkling in the night, hear the crickets chirping in the distance, observing the steam curling off the surface of the still waters. I even saw a shooting star streak across the sky…"

"Is that why you like to take long baths?" he asked.

"I think so. So when we had to go to the bathhouse in July, when the heater exploded, I was just so amazed at things. Although, to be honest, as much as I like the bathhouse, I enjoy the hot springs more. I think it is the outside location of it, that interesting mixture of hot water and cool weather. Some of the other people would step in for about 10 minutes and then head back out. How can you really relax in that short of a time?"

As she spoke, it dawned on Suguru that he really knew very little about Mahoro. He was aware of the basics, but none of the details. He would have to sit down with her and let her talk about herself. He knew that she felt it wasn't her place as the "maid" to do this, but she was more than a maid. She WAS family.

Suguru and Mahoro both noticed that his lunch was finished. She stood up. "Let me get that down to the sink and pour you another glass of tea. Remember…"

"…push those fluids," he smiled. He was feeling a bit better with Mahoro about.

Mahoro went into the kitchen to attend to the dishes and refill his glass when the doorbell rang. She opened the door and was shocked. Standing there was Shikijo, but she was wearing a Candy Striper outfit that was just a bit too small for her to wear and a bit too high in the skirt.

"I heard there was a patient ailing here, and Nurse Shikijo is at the ready! Where is the patient? Ah, yes, the BED! RheeOoooRheeOoooRheeOooo!" Before Mahoro could react, Shikijo blew right past her, sounding like an ambulance, and bolted up the stairs. Mahoro hurriedly shut the door and followed after her.

In the bedroom, Mahoro saw Shikijo holding Suguru close, who squirmed like a cat being clutched too tightly by an over-loving owner. "When I heard you were sick, I knew what had to be done. That is why Nurse Shikijo is here. You want to be nursed by me, don't you?" She stared into his eyes and Suguru shuddered.

Mahoro looked upset, her hair horns twitching, as Shikijo continued. "I know a lot about nursing people and I will personally nurse you back to health, even if I have to spend the entire night here with you. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Shouldn't you be in school, teaching your class?" huffed Mahoro.

"Today was an early leave day, so I was able to get his homework assignments AND come over. I want to make certain that Suguru gets healthy, right?" She cozied up to Suguru, hugging him into her cleavage. Suguru's temperature shot up as the sweat was really pouring off of him. "I need you as healthy as possible," she cooed.

Mahoro came close to Shikijo, who was lost in her fantasies as she held Suguru bulldog-tight. "We have everything under control here, Shikijo-sensei!" Mahoro was getting those feelings inside of her whenever Shikijo was about, but she still had to be mannered. "I thank you for the homework assignments, but as to the rest of it…"

Shikijo broke her grasp and stood up to face Mahoro. Suguru, gasping for air, turned about to see that Shikijo had presented her stern to him, so he could catch a glimpse of her underwear, just peeking underneath the hem of her skirt. Suguru felt dizzy and weak.

"I'LL be the judge of what Suguru-kun needs," responded Shikijo, a finger in the air. "And what he needs is a woman of experience to help him. He needs to sweat the poisons out of him and I know ALL the ways to get people sweaty!" Shikijo pointed right at Mahoro to emphasize things.

"What he needs is bed rest," Mahoro said firmly.

"And I agree. He needs lots and lots of bed rest." Shikijo turned to Suguru, looking dazed and confused. "And I'll help you with that bed rest," she said, looming in on him. Suguru's eyes rolled up into his head. "If you need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, I can do that as well!" Shikijo moved in very close.

Mahoro placed a firm hand on her shoulder and spoke through gritted teeth. "Perhaps it would be best if you attended to his academic needs and leave the domestic needs to the domestic." She looked over to Suguru, who looked worse now than he had in the morning. "And I think he needs his temperature taken."

Before Mahoro could react, Shikijo pulled out her thermometer from her medical bag. "OK, open wide," she purred, opening her mouth to get him to open his. Suguru could only manage a small open and Shikijo slide the probe under his tongue slowly. "Good, that fit in so easily. Keep it in there for us." She used her free hand to push his jaw shut. "And when this is done, you're getting a sponge bath!" Suguru coughed out the thermometer and Mahoro caught it out of the air as it shot past her.

Shikijo dabbed at his brow. "It looks like you'll need a full soaking to get your temperature down." She began to unbutton his pajama top.

Mahoro needed a distraction, so she grabbed the bowl of water and brought it over. She waiting until she was almost atop her to call out, "This might be better." As Shikijo turned about, Mahoro was too close and got 'clumsy', so they crashed into each other and the contents of the bowl spilled all over Shikijo.

Mahoro looked 'horrified'. "Oh, my. Well, we can't have YOU getting sick," so she took Shikijo by the hand and led her into the guest room, grabbing a towel along the way. Shikijo protested the entire time, but to no avail. Mahoro stuffed the towel into her hands. "You can dry off in here and change into something else not as wet."

The door to the closet was opened and out came a huge armful of clothing, which was flung atop Shikijo, burying her under a mountain of garments. "I'm sure you can find an outfit to your liking in all that!" Mahoro commented pleasantly. Closing the door to the guest room, she scampered back to Suguru's room and locked that door behind her. She turned about to see that Suguru was not in his bed, but a series of damp footprints indicated he had left.

She cleaned up the bowl and rag, putting them safely to one side, then went to unlock the door, but it was stuck. She couldn't move the knob. She struggled for a few moments and finally yanked the door open, pulling Shikijo into the room, who was grasping the knob on the other side with equal force.

Shikijo tumbled past Mahoro, but did not lose her balance. Mahoro was surprised to see her dressed in a Santa outfit. Shikijo glared right back at her. "It was the only thing that fit," she snarled.

"Where are the pants?" stared Mahoro.

"This covers me enough." She yanked at the hem of her Santa top, trying to make it hide more, but it never would. Glancing about the room, she commented, "Where's Suguru?"

"I assume in the bathroom."

"Great!" smiled Shikijo. "Now I can give him that sponge bath! I must cool down his overheated body." And she bolted to the door.

"Oh, no, you don't. You need only contend yourself with his mind and nothing else!" responded Mahoro and she went for the door. They got to the frame at the same time and wedged in tightly. Both grunted and struggled to not only get through first, but to also push the other person back into the room.

"He's my student!" said Shikijo, trying to get her arms free.

"He's my master and I am committed to him body and soul!" growled Mahoro, trying to get some traction with her feet.

Shikijo thought she could slip out of the Santa top and began hunching her shoulders up and down to wriggle free. Mahoro was able to grab the door frame with one hand and attempted to pop herself out, amid much gasping and panting.

"He is mine to cure!" stated Shikijo, as she slid underneath.

"As he is my responsibility, I am the logical choice to cure him!" strained Mahoro. The door frame began to creak and groan against all the pressure pushing on it.

"You lack the proper training to cure him!" muttered Shikijo, glaring at Mahoro.

"And you lack the proper perspective to cure him!" Mahoro glared at Shikijo.

"Is everything OK?" They looked up to see Suguru standing to one side, watching them in the door. As he moved to one side, he was hit with a vicious coughing attack that drove him to his knees. Both of them looked on, unable to help Suguru as he couldn't stop hacking.

"Suguru!" they both yelled at the same time as they made a last, huge effort to get free. Mahoro planted a foot on the door frame and pushed hard, dislodging them both at the same time. Suguru stood up and turned to face them. Eyes agape, like a deer trapped in the headlights, he could only stand and stare as they both crashed into him, propelling him backwards and all of them down the stairs.

They tumbled and rolled, head over heels, topsy-turvy, smacking into the wall, slamming into the railing, colliding with each other, as they thumped and bumped all the way down, landing in a heap at the base. Mahoro got to the bottom first, on her face, her dress over her head. Shikijo landed on top of her, back to back, and then rolled over to the left. Suguru plummeted into both of them, somersaulted over and came to rest, spread-eagled, sliding across the floor. Everyone lay there for a moment, moaning and groaning.

"I think I lost a filling or bit my tongue," lisped Shikijo.

Suguru stared at the ceiling. "If this is the cure, I'd rather be sick," he lamented, as he had another coughing fit.

Mahoro gave a mournful exhale.

An hour later, all were sitting at the table, having soup. Mahoro had some tissue up her nose, to stanch the bleeding. Shikijo, dressed a bit more decently, sported a bandage on her forehead, attempting to cover a large lump. Suguru's head was covered with a towel, as he was breathing in the steam from the soup and spooning some down.

"I know my tongue isn't broken, but I can't taste the soup," mumbled Suguru.

"I can feel that it's warm, but I can't taste the soup," huffed Shikijo.

"It's a good recipe, but I can't taste the soup," concluded Mahoro.

They all sighed.

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 285 DAYS**

End Notes

One thing that struck me about this series is how healthy everyone is. I mean, save for a sniffle or a sneeze, no one gets sick AT ALL! In fact, have you ever seen a medical doctor in this series? A dentist, a podiatrist, a chiropractor, a pediatrician? Anything?

Jergen's Myasthenia comes from an old Robert Klein comedy album, where he describes it as "a disease in which the nose mysteriously slides off the face."

Another issue I have is the conversions. I am used to inches and pounds and dollars and Fahrenheit, so when I have to do these change-overs to meters and yen, it gets a bit hectic. His temperature would be about 101.6 F the first time it is taken.

Some may wonder about the sometimes overly-formal language that I use. Part of that is due to my writing program. Like many people, there is an automatic grammar watchdog on my PC that looks at what you write, sending out the red squiggles or the green squiggles, to let you know that something is amiss with your writing. It gets hard to "talk" to the computer when you want the dialogue to go in a certain direction, even though the Grammar Police say that it is incorrect.

I mean, are you there with your copy of Strunk and White to make certain the grammar is proper, even when used improperly? Certainly, not me (not I?) And sometimes, it is harmonically correct, even if it is not grammatically proper.

About the story itself, I find, for my own satisfaction, that a purely silly story goes a long way. For those that read the Ninja Panty Bandit chapter in the manga, they know what I mean. It is a story that has absolutely no real bearing on the plotline.

I divide the stories into two broad categories: The "A" Tales and The "B" Tales. The "A" Tales is those that relate directly to her continued existence, like the fight with Ryuga in the anime/manga or, for me, tales like "Committed" and "The Exam".

The "B" Tales looks more at her day-to-day life and is not so life-and-death focused, so you see the more comical side, like my Cooking Shogun tales or this one. It's just a nice, funny, silly tale about their "normal" life. (Yeah, how normal can it REALLY be with a warrior android as a maid and a teacher who wants to give you "private" lessons?)

I also find that you can get more creative with the "B" Tales, as you are not constrained by a lot of rules and regulations of what you can and cannot do, and it allows for a great deal of poignancy that might get buried under or overlooked when you do the much more unflinching "A" Tales.


	14. Chapter 14, Dirty Thoughts AreNot Al

"Dirty Thoughts Are……

"Dirty Thoughts Are…….Not Always Bad"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

October 26th

Mahoro slowly roused herself from bed. Getting up in the morning always seemed an arduous task for her. She would have liked to sleep in, but being a maid means getting everyone and everything ready for the day. Suguru had to…..then she remembered.

Suguru was gone for a few days at a Buddhist memorial service in Kyushu. In effect, she had a kind of vacation, free to do as she wished.

But there would be no vacation for her. Running the Misato household required constant vigilance, lest an errant dust bunny or creeping cobweb infiltrate. It took almost a full two weeks to clean up the house when she first got here, so she was not going to slack off, even for a moment.

Mahoro got herself ready for the day. Arising from the bed, she changed into her maid uniform and made sure everything on it was perfect, right down to the proper placement of her little headpiece. Once that was settled, she strode into the kitchen with confidence, to make breakfast for herself and to feed both Slash and Guri.

It was a simple breakfast for herself, as she didn't wish to make too much of a mess. Slash sauntered in and looked about.

"Well, as least you didn't have the huge amount of food today that you had yesterday," Slash commented.

"I just forgot that Suguru was away and I prepared like I always do. A growing boy needs a substantial meal to get him going in the morning." She sighed. "I really expected Shikijo-sensei to show up yesterday as well."

"I thought you didn't like her," muttered Slash.

"There is nothing wrong with her, but I just wish she would lead her own life. She can't come here every night for a free meal and a bath. But….." Mahoro trailed off.

"But what?" probed Slash.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Breakfast is all done and it is time to clean the house!"

"But you cleaned it yesterday. There is nothing left to clean. It's a lovely day. Why don't you take Suguru-san's advice and get out of the house."

Mahoro looked horrified. "That is not my place as a maid. I have a solemn duty to keep this house clean and presentable, in case Suguru comes back early or any of his friends drop by. What would he think if I let the house go? What would the neighbor's think? Besides, I didn't get a chance to really clean Suguru's room."

"This wouldn't be an excuse to look for more ecchi, would it?"

The hair horns on the side of her head went upright at the mere thought of that. "Dirty thoughts are bad, you know that, but I respect Suguru's decision to get rid of it all, as he has told me."

Slash said nothing. As if he would ever get rid of that, he mused.

After feeding Guri, Mahoro got out the vacuum cleaner and began to tidy up. She eventually got to Suguru's room. It was trim and neat, as she had at least made up the bed just after Suguru's departure, but she was going to do a more thorough cleaning, so when he came back, it would be immaculate.

With the floor free of books and clothing, it was easier to keep it in order. Over at the desk, she pulled out the chair and vacuumed underneath, but she banged the side of the vacuum head against the inside of the desk.

A largish brown bag came out of nowhere and landed on the vacuum. Mahoro shut off the machine and picked up the bag.

"Hmmm. A magazine of some ilk," she mumbled. As she started to take it out of the bag, she read the title "'The Bounteous Maid at Work'. Ecchi." She let the magazine slide back into the bag, placed it on the bed and examined the desk area.

She looked about to see how the bag was attached to the underside of the drawer. The adhesive just didn't hold it well enough. She moved things out of the way and began to take apart the desk, looking under the drawers, behind the panels; she even moved the desk to see if he had hidden anything against the wall.

She took out each and every item, to make sure he wasn't hiding magazines within other things, but that proved to be a dead end. The only magazine she could find was the one in the bag. After she restored the desk to its proper condition, she picked up the bag and withdrew the magazine fully.

Mahoro stared at the cover for a few moments, her eyes getting wider. She felt herself getting dizzy, dropped the magazine and began to back up. Too stunned by events, she tripped over the vacuum and crashed to the floor, certain as to what she really saw but unwilling to acknowledge it completely.

She lay there for a few minutes, splayed out on the floor, trying to collect her wits. This was something she had never seen before and was not really prepared as what to do next. Once she worked up the nerve, she went back to the magazine and studied the cover.

On the front was a rather busty maid, in an outfit that could barely conceal her burgeoning womanhood. But that wasn't the problem. She had confiscated enough of Suguru's ecchi to have seen busty women before. She had even looked at the Riho Asaoka magazine that Ryuga gave back to him. This was far worse than anything.

The woman in the maid's uniform looked exactly like her! Even the uniform was an exact duplicate of hers, right down to the red brooch that was in the pink ascot. It was, for her, looking into a mirror.

She opened the magazine nervously to see the maid going through her chores, but this maid was rather "clumsy". Her dress got caught in a drawer and it was lifted up, so one could see her blue striped underwear, just like Mahoro wore. In washing the windows, she got herself sopping wet and the blouse clung tightly to her, revealing every curve of her fulsome figure.

Mahoro was less interested in whatever circumstances forced the maid out of her uniform and more as to how it was HER in those circumstances. Thousands of thoughts swirled about her head, as she was not ever expecting something like this.

There was a kind of distance with the ecchi, as it was, for the most part, anonymous women in nude and semi-nude poses. This one was completely different. Was this how Suguru saw her? An object of…desire? Lewd thoughts? Craven needs?

She somehow managed to get the magazine back into the bag, but left it on the bed. Wrapping up the vacuum and putting it away, she wondered what to do next. A walk? Yes, a walk. Get out of the house and let an autumn morning help her with this.

As she came downstairs, Slash looked up at her. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I…I'm done here, so I think I WILL take Suguru's advice and take some time off." She took her bag and started to go. "Perhaps something interesting will be at the marketplace." Slash watched her leave.

"There is something very wrong with Mahoro, but I can't quite determine what it is."

Mahoro began to walk, with no aim or purpose in mind. She was acutely aware that ALL the women on the streets about her were rather busty, almost leering at her with their largeness. That cannot be, she thought, but that was the impression she got. I must be imagining things.

The bigger question was not Suguru's treasures, as he called them, but what to do about all this. She could not ignore it, for that would allow him to accumulate even more ecchi. She could merely confiscate it and store it with the rest of the items, but he might shrug it off. She would have to confront him, but what else could she say that she hadn't said before? She needed something that would really drive home her feelings about all this improper behavior. But whatever plan she came up with, she knew it just wouldn't work

Before she realized it, she had been walking for nearly four hours, jolted back to reality by her growling stomach. She looked at a nearby clock for the time. "Is it THAT late? Have I lost that much time?"

Scanning about, she found herself in front of a noodle shop, the Aoshima Flats. Standing in the doorway was the owner, in his hat and apron, who was looking at her. He started to smile, and then he clouded over.

"Oh, I know that face."

Mahoro stared at the man. "Excuse me, but do I…..know you?"

"No, we have never met, but I recognize that expression on your face. That is the look of hurt, of disappointment, of, dare I say it, betrayal? Someone you care about has done something they promised they would not do again and now, you have uncovered the deception."

Mahoro was impressed as his deducting skills. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yes, it is. And you are uncertain what to do next. Well, you know what to do next, but you are uncertain as to how to do it. One thing I will tell you: you cannot make a decision like that on an empty stomach. Come in and have some lunch." Gesturing her onwards, Mahoro entered the shop.

It was a clean and tidy place and the smell of cooking noodles greeted her. He sat her down at the counter and came around to the other side. "My name is Pops and I run this shop. Finest in town."

"I am Mahoro." She bowed her head.

"Now, I do more here than make noodles, I also dispense wisdom and help people and I am going to tell you what you need to do about your problem. Three simple steps. One. Two. Three." He counted down his fingers while saying that.

"But…you do not know what the problem is," protested Mahoro.

"I don't have to. My advise will still help your greatly. Step one…" Just then, Mahoro made another grumbling stomach roar. "Step one is to…eat something! You make another growl like that and you'll scare away my customers. They might think some wild beast is loose in here, ready to render them limb from limb!"

Mahoro laughed as Pops smiled. "See, you are slowly starting to feel better. Now what would you like?"

She did feel a bit better. Mahoro looked about and saw the Specialty Royal King Special banner. She pointed to that.

Pops rolled his eyes. "Well, you may be hungry, but are you that hungry? That is large enough to feed 10 people. In fact, we have a contest going. If you order one of those and you can eat it all in less than 60 minutes, it's free! In all the years I have been in operation, only nine people have been able to beat the deadline. The current King, or Queen in this case, is one Saori Shikijo."

"What?!" Mahoro's eyes bugged out. The noodleman pointed to a poster in the corner. Leering out at her was Shikijo, looking most satisfied with her accomplishment and her time of 38 minutes, 5 seconds.

"Then I want the Specialty Royal King."

"How can a mere slip of a girl like you eat something that large? OK, as long as you understand the rules. My assistant will prepare it. Yoshi! We have another Royal on the throne!"

"Hai!" and a great clattering was heard in back. As it was being prepared, Pops continued to speak to Mahoro.

"Now, while we have time, let us discuss your situation. After Step One is accomplished, you've had a good meal; Step Two is…..go home and take a bath."

"A bath?" Mahoro looked puzzled.

"A bath. For you will wash away the symbolic despair that besets your soul, sending it down the drain with the rest of the grime and soot that befoul you. Soak in that bath, letting all your anxieties and fears leech away. Once cleansed of your distress, purified and restored, now comes Step Three…..a nap."

But, I can't afford to take a nap!" protested Mahoro.

Pops help up a finger. "You can't afford NOT to take a nap! Just as the lunch energizes your body, and the shower energizes your soul, the nap energizes your spirit. Yes, for whatever emotional trauma that has occurred, you cannot think clearly, as it weighs you down. A nap will help with that. A nice, warm, quiet bed, the chirping birds singing you a lullaby, will drift you away from your concerns.

"Then, with your body nourished, your soul cleansed and your mind clear, you are at your best to tackle the problem before you. You may even find a solution that you had not previously seen, but it will resolve the situation to everyone's satisfaction."

DING! A bell chimed and Pops brightened up. "It is ready." He turned about and brought to her an absolutely huge bowl, large enough to take a bath in. Mahoro was greeted with a happy cloud of delicate fragrances. She was about to start eating when Pops halted her. "We have to do this right." He pulled out a chess timer, both clocks set to 12.

"When you are ready, I will start the timer. You will have 60 minutes to finish the entire meal. When you are done, and that is COMPLETELY done, you will tap the switch on the top of the clock and it will stop the time. Are you ready?"

Mahoro smiled. "I am ready."

"Then begin," and Pops started the clock.

Mahoro started to eat but was impressed with the noodles. "How did you get these noodles just right?" she asked.

"Balance. Everything in life is balance. You have to make the noodles so they are just tender enough to be eaten easily, but not so tender they have lost all form, but not too hard that is it chewy. Everything must be in balance.

"You can have wonderful noodles, but if your soup portion is too salty or too spicy, you cannot enjoy the noodles. You can have the most exquisite soup, with just enough spices and vegetables, but if the noodles are rubber bands, it all falls apart.

"The vegetables need to be done properly, so they are at the peak of flavor, giving you that crunchy softness, if you understand that caliber of contradiction. It's all balance. Then it has to be presented correctly. Too little soup and you have land masses of noodles, looming upwards like great ranges. Too much soup and everything drowns. 'Help me. I cannot swim! Glub, glub'.

"Do the spices enhance or overwhelm? Is there so little taste, do you ask 'Is there a flavor embargo somewhere? Must I fax Tokyo for permission to add the tiniest portion of sea salt, please?'"

Mahoro laughed at that one as she feasted. She would have to figure out his recipe, as it was so delectable. Pops continued on as Mahoro ate. She saw Yoshi in back, looking bored. Obviously he had heard this speech many times, but Pops was a compelling talker.

"Balance is the key; it has always been the key, in all that you do. There are some who may not able to taste the subtle hint of cardamom in the ramen, but they sense it. They may not understand the crispness of the snow peas, but they appreciate it. Whenever I make a meal, I want the diner to look down at the meal and say…." Pops paused as he looked down at Mahoro's bowl. A look of consternation crossed his face. "…where is it?"

Mahoro looked up. "That's an odd thing to say."

Pops began to look about to see if someone else was in the store, but it was just the three of them. He came out from behind the counter and looked all about: up, down, back, forth, over and under. Mahoro watched his actions "Is there a problem? What are you looking for?"

"Your hollow leg. I mean, it's gone, it's all gone and in…" He looked up at the timer. "30 minutes?! LESS than 30 minutes?" He grabbed the timer and stared at it. "29 minutes, 47 seconds? Yoshi? YOSHI!"

A voice came from the back. "I saw her eat each and every portion. It was all her. You just talk too much." Pops shrugged as he came back around.

"Then we have a new champion. Less than 30 minutes?" He put his hand underneath the counter and retrieved a digital camera. "Please come over here so I may take your picture and enshrine you." Mahoro got up and headed over to the wall, where Pops took the picture. "This will go up at the end of the day, Mahoro….."

"Ando." She bowed to Pops. "Thank you for all you have told me. I will do as you suggest." She took her bag and left for home.

Pops scratched his head. "Where did she put it all? No one has ever gotten close to 30 minutes. Even for Saori, it was a push."

She got herself home quickly to do as Pops had asked. Heading upstairs, she prepared the hot bath for herself. The waters did as he said it would, as she felt it float away her anxieties, her doubts and her fears. After toweling off, she got into her pajamas and crawled into bed. She felt kind of odd, doing this, but the bed was cozy and she heard the birds twittering outside the window, singing their happy songs…………

Mahoro found herself on the battlefield, dressed in her warrior uniform. A giant android came up from behind, but it was far too slow to get to her. Leaping and looping, her Shining Darkness charged up, she made short work of that one. More androids blasted up from the ground and tried to destroy her, but they were no match. They were never a real match for her. Methodically, all were turned into smoldering scrap.

She stood alone, surveying the damage as Slash came up. He was wary.

"One more is still out there," Slash said, ready to attack, looking about.

"Yes, I felt it too and…" From the corner of her eye, she saw a black form, charging them at incredible speed. She managed to get out of the way, knocking them both to one side, as a line of energy tore up the ground where they were standing.

"That was too close. Can you track it?" asked Slash.

Mahoro looked around. "Just about…..NOW!" Propelling herself skyward, she aimed for a spot where there was nothing. At the apogee of her leap, she let loose with her attack and the black form, stunned, fell to earth like a meteorite, crashing with a smoky blast.

Mahoro alighted as the black form got to their feet. "Turn around and face me!" Mahoro yelled. The form did just that.

Mahoro gaped to see that it was her, in her maid uniform, but this one had two differences. The first was a very evil grin, with sinister eyes that stared out, burning through her. The other was her bust line, just like in the magazine, full and bouncy.

Mahoro Maid said nothing, but charged up her Shining Darkness. Mahoro Warrior did the same, and then they ran towards one another. When they got close, they cut loose and attacked, each blocking most of the blows. When they broke away from each other, Mahoro Warrior noticed that Mahoro Maid had some of her outfit shredded. No real cutting blows landed, but the uniform was in tatters, exposing a left leg and part of her right side.

They attacked again and again and again, with neither side gaining the upper hand. After one particularly vicious assault, they leapt into the air and landed to face each other. Mahoro Maid now stood, with her outfit in shreds, defiant and just as evil. She rearranged what was left of her uniform, noticing that the right sleeve bunched at the wrist, the apron was riddled with holes and the hemline was not much more than fringe. She spoke, the sarcasm oozing from her.

"You cannot win. You cannot ever hope to defeat me. I will come back stronger and stronger. Here, I will prove it. Cut me. Come over and cut me, if you can!" She put her arms out towards her sides, leaving herself wide open for an attack.

Mahoro Warrior charged and delivered a slashing blow that cut her across the middle, cleaving her in two. She landed and turned about to see Mahoro Maid still standing. All she had succeeded in doing was removing the last of the uniform, so she stood in her underwear.

"There is nothing you can do that can hurt me or best me or bring me to my knees. I am the one enemy you cannot top. I will always win out, impervious and eternal." She thrust herself out with a great flourish, so Mahoro Warrior would understand her power.

Mahoro Warrior gave a knowing smile. "I need not best you on the battlefield to defeat you. Victory comes in many forms and I'll show you." Charging up Shining Darkness, they both sprinted towards each other as fast and as hard as they could. They collided in a blinding white ball of energy and power………

Mahoro awoke from her dream, and then looked over to the clock. A mere 30 minutes had passed for her nap. Normally when she got up, she was groggy, but this time, she felt fabulous. She lay there, calm and sedate, watching the lazy afternoon sun stream into the bedroom, the birds still happily chirping away. She knew exactly what to do.

Mahoro got herself ready for the day. Arising from the bed, she changed into her maid uniform and made sure everything on it was perfect, right down to the proper placement of her little headpiece. Once that was settled, she strode into Surugu's room with confidence.

The magazine bag was still lying upon the bed. She retrieved it and went to Surugu's desk. Sitting down, she opened the drawer and removed a rubber band, a sheet of paper and a pen. Writing in a firm hand, she composed a brief note. Removing the magazine from the bag, she looked through it one more time.

"That has got to be the worst dusting job I have ever seen," she commented. Closing the magazine, she looped the rubber band about the magazine so it fit snug, but didn't cut into it, placed the note on the cover, held in by the band, and returned it to the bag.

She crawled under the desk to replace the bag in its location, replaced the chair and made sure everything was perfect. Then she left the room and went downstairs to the garden.

Over at the doghouse, Slash and Guri were sleeping. Slash stirred. "Are you OK? Do you need something?"

She shook her head 'no' while she smiled broadly. "I'm fine. Everything is just fine. What would you like for dinner?"

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 267 DAYS**

End Notes

One of the driving forces in Mahoro's life is her pursuit of ecchi. Now, ecchi appears to be something more than just porn, but seems to describes a caliber of cheesecake, much like what Playboy Magazine was like prior to 1969 (before they included pubic hair in their photography).

The limited examples shown in both manga and anime have the women definitely naked, but with a strategically placed item covering their groin or lounging in underpants or a leg up in a coy manner. Their breasts, however, are out there for all to see.

Although I know Dr. Memory (a fellow Mahoromatic writer) has done a story where Mahoro is compelled to examine her feelings about ecchi, I felt that it should be driven closer to home, something much more personal. This is partially based on an incident I was involved in many moons ago. A girl I was sweet on in high school was thought to have posed for an adult magazine, as the foldout looked just like her. I knew it wasn't her, but even she admitted that if she had a twin sister, it would be a close match. (I owned said magazine until I was married.)

The dream sequence was interesting to me. At first, I was going to have Mahoro fight a nameless entity, eventually defeating her and realizing later it was her as the maid, but that seemed too typical. No, it is better that you face your fear; an aspect of your personality that mocks and torments you with the very thing that generates your dread.

Now, one problem I have with men's magazines is that they put the women in odd situations or having them mouth the most vacuous crap, which creates an unsettling juxtaposition. Certainly, as a maid, you can run afoul of all kinds of appliances and situations, and chaos ensues. (I personally would have enjoyed describing the problems in greater detail, but it's bad enough I am skating with a "T" rating, so I don't want to push things too hard.)

Ahhh, the note. What did she write? Let's face it, I'm a lazy writer. If I can have you, the reader, fill in the gaps, then I don't have to work all that hard at things and I have more time for drinking beer. Besides, if I actually tell you what she wrote, you may come back with "What a load of stale noodles! I could write better than that!" And you're probably right. So, this is your chance to write that note.

What could she say that would really drive home the point? Will Suguru examine his feelings about ecchi, about Mahoro, about himself? I leave that to you.

Why did I choose October 26th for this tale? October 27th is when she and Saori kind of have a Girls Day Together. In the manga, Saori learns that Mahoro has bested her at the restaurant (and that is presented as a real piece of news. Since Saori eats there often, it makes sense) and she tries again with the feast, but cannot beat that time. Mahoro shows up and, being bored, they go to a pachinko parlor (where Mahoro kicks major tush) followed with a night of boozing where things REALLY get odd.

What gets even odder is that there is a SECOND restaurant that has done the same trick, calling their super meal The Rocket. Again, Saori has been bested by Mahoro (who consumed it in less than 30 minutes), but Mahoro herself is beaten by Minawa, who is a whole minute better.

Also, with Suguru out of the house, it allows a situation like this to occur. This was my only genuine day to make it all fit in proper, especially prior to the Halloween story. (More on that later.)


	15. Chapter 15, This Is Halloween

"This Is Halloween"

"This Is Halloween"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

October 31st

The gloom of night was descending as the month was coming to an end. Outside the Misato house, a pair of Jack O' Lanterns cast their eerie glow on the walkway. Near the front gate, Slash stood in stony silence, looking more like a decoration, his eyes also glowing.

A pair of teen-agers, disguised as pirates, sauntered up to the house.

"This looks like a great place to trash," said the first.

"I get the pumpkin on the left," snickered the second.

As they came into the yard, Slash went into combat mode, growling, showing his fangs and baring his claws. The teens, caught off-guard, shrieked with fear and panic, tearing out of the yard as fast as they could go, stumbling and crashing into one another. Slash resumed his sentinel position, as though nothing happened.

"Heh, heh, heh. That was fun," he said, smirking.

Inside, Mahoro was putting the finishing touches on the evening meal, singing one of her songs. "It's such a lovely treat, for all my friends to have. Udo, udo, udo, so nice and fresh and good-oh."

Suguru came downstairs, dressed like Naruto. "Believe it!" he yelled, pointing at Mahoro, who laughed.

"And do you have your kunai?" she asked. He tried to pull one out, but it snagged on a pocket, and it tumbled helplessly to the floor.

"I hope your friends will enjoy themselves tonight." Mahoro brought over a tray of food to the table.

"I was really hoping that you would join us," ventured Suguru.

Mahoro looked horrified. "No. It would not be right for me. As the maid, I cannot engage in matters, although that would be nice and fun for me to do that and….ohhhhhhhhhh." Mahoro was a bit surprised that came out of her mouth.

"Come along. It would be fine," coaxed Suguru.

"But…but who would dispense the treats?"

"You can always leave a bowl out. People will be honest about things," smiled Suguru.

"But, there's no time for a costume," she protested.

"But you have a great costume. Your warrior uniform."

"Out of the question! How could I explain it?" Mahoro's eyes opened very wide.

Suguru came close to her. "Tell them the truth."

"The…..truth?" Mahoro looked uncertain.

"Trust me, tell them the truth. Please, Mahoro, you'll have fun. So go upstairs and do this. For me? Please?"

"Very well, as you request." Mahoro trooped upstairs and changed into her warrior uniform. It felt rather odd. When she put it on, she always did battle; she never used it for something of this casual of a nature. While she was getting dressed, she heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it," Suguru called from the lower floor.

Mahoro finished dressing and came downstairs to greet everyone.

"Well, that is some costume, Mahoro," remarked Miyuki, dressed as Sailor Venus.

"She looks fabulous," drooled Hamadi, trying to be Gasser from BoBoBo-Bo Bo-BoBo.

"Doesn't she, though," agreed Kawahara, being Captain Battleship from the same show. "But she is no Torpedo Gal."

"I think she looks great. She put in a lot of work on that costume." Chizo was a chef, wielding a gigantic plastic carving knife and cleaver.

"But who are you? I do not recognize you at all," puzzled Rin, costumed as Nonononn, from Magical Play.

Mahoro looked over to Suguru, who urged her on.

"I am Vesper combat android, V1046R Mahoro, created to do battle with the invading alien android forces of Saint, which attacked Earth in the early 1980s. I was created nine years, six months ago and proved myself on the battlefield in defense of all. Many tried to defeat me, but none succeeded. Although recently decommissioned, I am still battle ready."

Rin stared at her with open eyes and began to clap. "Wow! That is incredible. You really go all out with things. I am truly impressed with the dedication to this."

"The next time there is an anime convention in town, she has to go. I think this is the best thing ever," added Chizo. "One gets so tired of seeing Sepheroth and his giant butter knife of doom."

"I like the costume, I really, really like the costume" leered Hamadi, as he circled Mahoro.

"I like the costume, too," said Kawahara, as he also circled. "I mean it."

Miyuki pulled both of the boys back. "Calm down, you two. Have something to eat and stuff your eyes back into your head."

Mahoro went up to Suguru. "They don't believe me," she whispered. "Not at all."

"It's Halloween, perhaps the one time of the year you can tell that story and have no one question it," smiled Suguru.

"So, when do we eat and when do we treat?" asked Chizo.

"We eat now and we will treat when it gets a touch darker," said Mahoro. "Let us start with the lovely deviled eggs."

"Not too dark," said Rin. "Did you see those pumpkins out front? Those were the scariest ones I have ever seen!"

"I wouldn't want to meet one of those creatures in a dark alley," said Kawahara.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't want to meet one on a well-lit street. In the middle of the day. In summer!" remarked Hamadi.

Mahoro smiled. The pumpkins were representations of some of the androids she had to combat, and a rather terrifying visage one would ever care to see.

Chizo popped an egg into her mouth. "Sacre Bleu! Cordon Bleu! Red, White and Bleu! These…..are…..MAGNIFIQUE! The delicate convergence of spices and chopped egg take this simple dish and push it into the realm of the legendary! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

Just then the door opened. "I hope I'm not too late!" Shikijo was dressed as Ariel, the Little Mermaid. Her clamtop was just a bit too small to cover her ampleness and her hair was let down to cascade about her shoulders. Everyone stared on, stunned.

"This is about as bad as when we went to the beach," hissed Rin.

"She is going to freeze her…shells off," offered Miyuki.

"Even at this time of year, you need a chaperone, so you stay out of mischief and mayhem." She went over to Suguru, who was mesmerized. "Just say the word, Suguru-kun, and we can go explore my secret grotto."

Mahoro slid between them with a tray of food. "You had best eat something while you can!"

Shikijo looked Mahoro up and down. "And who are YOU supposed to be?"

"Let's just say I'm not to be messed with," and she pulled out her pistol, the bullet belt coiling around her arm. Suguru freaked out.

"WAAAAAAAH! There is no need for that!" Suguru waved his arms about frantically, standing between Shikijo and Mahoro. "We're all just having a friendly time here! Let's just all enjoy ourselves! Look, lots of tasty udo!" Shikijo and Mahoro glowered at each other, as she put the pistol away. The doorbell rang.

"I'LL get it," purred Shikijo, as she went over. She opened the door to see two young boys, dressed as Power Rangers. "My, my, don't you look all fierce," she commented, as she dropped treats into their bags.

"Thank you," they chimed, as they scampered out. Shikijo shut the door.

"I guess it is time to go out. Remember, there is still the Big Festival at the fairgrounds later tonight," she said.

Chizo stuffed a few more eggs into her mouth. "Myff frume blrerm."

Mahoro took a stool and went outside with it, then placed the treat bowl on it. She wrote a short note, "Please help yourself, but think of others," and attached it to the front of the bowl. They all started to troop out, but Mahoro lagged for a moment, speaking to Slash.

"I'm depending on you to protect the house while we are gone."

Slash smiled. "I will not let you down!" his eyes glistening with a sense of mayhem.

As Mahoro left, her departure did not go unnoticed. Peering from the trees down the street were two costumed people. One was in a very realistic spacesuit, but the visor was pulled down so the eyes could not be seen. The second came off like a combat android, rather tall and menacing. Spaceman spoke. "227 reporting. Subject has left the house. We will follow."

The streets were active as all kinds of costumed people scampered about. Some of the parents got involved as well. The cracking autumn air put a festive flavor on things. Mahoro examined the numerous costumes. Some folks went all out and appeared more as Kabuki or Noh performers. There were a lot of ninja and samurai about. One person even put together a caliber of Gundam and drew a lot of attention, as he clunked about the streets. After all, one didn't see an eight-foot tall costume lumbering about too often.

"I'm actually less interested in the treats and more the festival. They are going to have a huge costume contest and lots of tasty snacks there. This will be even more fun than the summer one we had. But no fireworks," pouted Chizo.

"We can make our own fireworks, if you know what I mean," said Shikijo, turning to Suguru. "All you need is…EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!" The sound of a splatting water balloon could be heard as Shikijo took a solid hit in the middle of her back. She was propelled right into Suguru, who turned about at her squeal. He was pinioned by her cleavage as she clasped her arms about him tightly. "At least you can keep me warm, Ninja-Boy. I'm so chilled and your body heat will help me."

Mahoro didn't know what to do: break up the tête-à-tête between those two or give pursuit to the perpetrators, who scampered about a corner. She focused on Shikijo and Suguru. "A true warrior is always prepared," she commented and pulled out a thermal blanket, which she quickly wrapped about Shikijo, so she looked like a silver mummy.

"How can people admire my beauty if I am so encased?" she complained, trying to break free. As she walked, she crinkled and rustled.

"You should have thought of that before stepping out in rather sharp weather! At least you'll keep warm and you can take it off at the fairgrounds," muttered Mahoro.

Half a block away, the spaceman and his robot kept them under a wary eye. "Yes, I think we can direct them towards the woods," the spaceman said into his headset.

The other Gundam robot came up to the Spaceman and robot. "Wow! That is some fabulous costume. I am really impressed with the attention to details." Without hesitation, the robot grabbed the Gundam and flung him as far as he could into the trees. It was done so fast, no one saw a thing, despite the crowds on the street.

The spaceman went up to him and stared at the robot's chest. "Base, this Man Eater cannot be acting on its own. It's bad enough we are out here, but we cannot draw undue attention to ourselves. Please correct the programming."

The roads to the fairgrounds were getting more and more congested. "At the rate we're going, everything will be over by the time we get there," complained Miyuki.

"All the food eaten? Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Chizo was beside herself.

"Perhaps we should split up and take a shortcut," offered Rin. "We can cut through the Todai Forest and come around back, or down through the Marketplace and enter from the East." Rin pointed her battle staff in the direction of the forest.

"Or we could run like the wind and get to the Fairgrounds in record time," said Hamadi.

"I think we should stay together so we all get there together, and not get lost from one another," offered Mahoro. She was feeling funny. The last time she felt this way was two months earlier, when Ryuga was lurking about. She debated going into combat mode, but it was supposed to be a festive time, not one of suspicion.

"Besides," said Suguru, "you go taking a walk in the spooky old woods alone and you will get DEVOURED by some hideous monster. RAAAAARH!"

At that point, Shikijo clutched Suguru tightly, her ample bosoms surrounding him. "And you will protect me, you big, strong man, won't you? I'm just a poor, defenseless little mermaid." Mahoro's eyes glowed with resentment as Suguru was sweating so badly his whiskers were washing away. Out of the corner of her eye, Mahoro glimpsed the robot. She had that feeling again, but this time, she would act.

"You know, Rin, I think that would be an excellent idea," she commented. "I, as a warrior android, am not afraid of any spooky old woods, so I will venture forth alone!"

"It's a plan, then," concluded Chizo. "Hamadi and I will run like maniacs to the fairgrounds, Kawahara, Rin and Miyuki will go via the Marketplace and Suguru…"

Shikijo spoke up. "Suguru and I will stroll leisurely through the streets…together." Mahoro was torn. She needed to chaperone both of them, but bringing them along could put them in greater danger.

"Then it is settled," remarked Mahoro and she strode off towards the woods. Shikijo looked stunned. This was not like Mahoro; usually, she was splitting them apart like cord wood. She's up to something, Shikijo mulled, as Mahoro disappeared.

Hamadi turned to Chizo. "Race you."

"You're on, Gas Boy!" and the both sped off into the night.

Miyuki tapped Kawahara on the shoulder with her wand. "We might as well be off as well, Hair Head."

"You're no Torpedo Gal," he said.

"That's OK, you're no Zucchini," commented Rin. They, too, were swallowed up by the crowds. Only Suguru and Shikijo remained. Suguru was extremely nervous. Him and Shikijo-sensei? Alone? What designs did she have on him?

"Uh….so….where do you want to…uh…go?" His voice ended in a high squeak.

"That way," she replied, pointing.

"But….but that's the way Mahoro went. Into the woods."

"Exactly." And they followed, Shikijo practically dragging Suguru along.

In the woods, Mahoro was on full alert. She was aware of two figures following her. They were keeping well back and well hidden. Her special pistol was out and at the ready as she took a zigzag path to see if she could loop behind and discover the identity of her pursuers.

She decided to hide in a dense thicket, keeping a wary eye for whomsoever. Unlike at summer time, when the woods were filled with people, on this occasion, it was fairly quiet. She could hear the sound of two sets of footfalls, getting closer. She was going to wait for the right moment.

Springing out, her gun was at the ready, she pointed it straight at…

"Suguru? Shikijo-sensei?"

"AHHH! Mahoro! What are you doing here?" shrieked Suguru.

Mahoro raised up the gun so it wasn't aimed at them. "I could easily ask the same of you two! Get out of here!" Mahoro scanned about.

Shikijo went up to her. "You were planning something! You thought I was going to take Suguru into the woods and have with him the most delicious kind of Halloween treats. But I'm on to you!" Shikijo pointed a finger at Mahoro. "You don't fool me at all. You were just waiting for an opportunity to conk me and…"

BLAM!

Out of nowhere, a tree exploded, sending debris everywhere. A fair-sized branch hit Shikijo on the chest and sent her reeling into the bushes, knocking the wind out of her. Mahoro leaped on top of Suguru, driving him into the bushes as another blast tore the tree to the left of them. Holding him tightly, she rolled out and away. A third blast went in another direction.

"What's going on?" said a panicky Suguru. Mahoro came to a stop and surveyed the situation.

"I am being followed. They are after me for some reason."

"Is it Saint?" Suguru hugged the ground.

"No, they have learned their lesson. This caliber of attack indicates someone completely different, but I am not fully certain who it might be." She tried to look for Shikijo, but the foliage was too dense to see clearly. "This is what I want you to do, Suguru. Tend to Shikijo-sensei. I am going to draw their fire and lead them away from here. Get help as soon as you can."

"I…I will do that."

Meanwhile, the robot was on the prowl. The Spaceman came up to him. "Don't do that. Base, this Man-Eater's functions are all wrong. I need…" Before he could finish, the Man-Eater swung about and struck him, driving him into a clump of bushes.

Mahoro crawled up and away from Suguru, then sprung out to see the robot. He fired but missed. Mahoro was tighter with her aim and three well-placed shots crippled his firing arm.

Springing from tree to tree, she led the robot away from Suguru and Shikijo. The robot fired from an auxiliary chest gun, but the aim was not that good. The splintering trees were more of an annoyance to Mahoro as she managed to stay just ahead of the shots.

She had to. With no body armor, even a near miss could cripple her severely. She knew she made that promise to Professor Hokaze, but there was no time to call for help. Another blast forced her to the left. She wondered if the robot was directing her towards someplace for some reason or if it was that bad of a shot.

It was acting like the Crab Robot, in that the actions did not make full sense. Perhaps some errant programming or wiring of some ilk was causing these attacks. Spinning around, Mahoro fired off three more shots. The first cracked the glass on the head area, the second damaged the chest cannon and the third weakened the left leg at the shin.

Still, the robot kept charging and firing. The Sylpheed would be useful, but it may not get to her in time. Besides, sailing away may put other people in danger.

A back flip landed her…in the middle of the fairgrounds! People screamed at her sudden appearance, but when the robot crashed through one of the stands, panic ensued. Mahoro had no choice; she had to stand her ground, but with the people running wild, it would be tough. It was odd; she was a tiny isle of calm while people went berserk. The robot faced her down as a third weapon appeared from it.

Mahoro rolled to the left, then immediately to the right, the robot firing at where she wasn't. Mahoro laid down a carpet of bullets that hit their mark every time, tearing through the robot as parts of it were flung off and it crashed to the ground. She had to make sure that not only her shots were deadly accurate, but that the robot did not get off another round from this point on.

Doing a gigantic twisting loop through the air, Mahoro sent five shots directly on what would be the spine of the robot. Landing on the other side of a cleared-out area, she stood up and turned about to see the robot stagger to its feet, then collapse in a heap. A small explosion engulfed it in flames and it burned in a steady fire. People stood about and watched it, then burst into applause.

When she was certain the robot had been stopped, she quickly left the area. Heading back to where Suguru was, she called Vesper HQ. "Send a containment team to the Hiryu Fairgrounds for robot retrieval. Robot has been subdued."

Cameras were going off and people were talking amongst themselves. The fire brigade showed up to put out the fire and made sure the area was secure. As the people applauded, one of the City Councilmen went to another councilman. "What a surprise for everyone. Who did you get to be that warrior? People will be talking about this one for years. That was a great idea of yours!"

The other councilman was stunned. "My idea? I thought it was YOUR idea." They stared at one another with a bit of alarm, then to the smoking debris of the now-destroyed robot.

Chizo and Hamadi arrived and saw the knot of people plus the smoke billowing upwards. "Gee," said Hamadi, "I wonder what we missed?"

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 261 DAYS**

End Notes

OK, my research showed me that Japan does NOT celebrate a Halloween like we do, but many Japanese, embracing Western culture, choose to do so.

I just felt it helped with the "hectic holidays" part of the second season. I was willing to give up Thanksgiving (as, presented in the way it is, it makes it wholly American), but I needed something more than just the Christmas/New Year's nexus.

It also gave me a chance to introduce Ferdelance and his machinations on Mahoro, while some kind of battlebot stalks her. I have a hard time believing that Management "magically" decided that they wanted Mahoro out of the blue. Something has to be established sooner, which makes the Minawa Scenario in December the final logical step in the plan when this approach fails.

And in concert with my Breast Augmentation story (currently set in mid-November), I am putting out these early feelers of Management trying to get Mahoro (or the Keepers or whatever they want to call themselves). Keep in mind that, in the manga, Professor Hokaze talks about unexpected combat when he gives Mahoro the bad news in early April. We know of some of the battles, but with the approximate 200+ days between Mahoro's arrival and Mahoro's departure, not that many days are really examined.

A slight side-bar here: what about Ryuga? I mean, if Management is aware of Mahoro, they must be equally aware of him. Wouldn't it be just as easy to "capture" him? He is easily on a par with Mahoro as far as talents and abilities go, or do they feel that a "weakened" Mahoro is a better target than a complete Ryuga? Or is it an accessibility issue? They know where Mahoro is, but Ryuga is a bit more elusive. This is just something that has nagged at me.

Back to Halloween. Although we have seen the friends all in some kind of costume in the series, time wise, this would occur before that, as the hunt for Shikijo's time capsule (anime) is similar to when Mahoro went to the Vesper Academy to look for the bombs (manga), and those were both in late November.

If we try to establish a real date and time that this takes place, we know that it occurs no earlier than 1997. I bring that up, for, in the Dance of the Dead Festival episode, when the Mayor is showing the pictures of all the previous Dancing Maidens, we see one photo, dated 1994, then another, then Shikijo.

Admittedly, the photos jump around and he shows her maidens as far back as 1932 or thereabouts, but, even if we use consecutive years after 1994, then Saori was maiden no earlier than 1996.

I bring this up in that all the characters the gang is costumed as did not make an appearance prior to 1994 or that time frame. Still, I thought it would be funny to have anime characters dressed up as other anime characters.

If you know who these characters are, so much the better; if not, Wikipedia can give a basic overall idea. One reason I let Rin be Nonononn, although not fully mentioned here (I do have to keep mind of the ratings) is that Rin is rather busty, as is Nonononn, and she wears this corset-like vest that draws immediate attention to it.

I mean, how much should be explained? It's a bit of a sticky wicket. I am fairly certain folks have not seen the animes mentioned, but I don't wish to over-explain to those who know potentially more than I do.


	16. Chapter 16, If Wishes Were Horses

"If Wishes Were Horses…"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

November 13th

Mahoro sat on the couch, reading the latest letter from Vesper and sighing. Although she knew what Professor Hokaze had told her on September 23rd, she was still anxious about her augmentation requests.

This letter was the latest refusal from Vesper, but it was rather unsettling. In the past, Professor Hokaze had taken the time to draft a very heartfelt letter to her, going into detail why it was declined and signed it himself. This one was signed by a person whose signature she could not read and a name she did not recognize. She even wondered if the professor even saw this request, considering how generic the reply was.

She actually did not want to think that Hokaze was brushing her off on this matter, as his words of September were most earnest, but she still had this nagging doubt. Sighing again, she folded up the letter, put it back in its envelope and placed it on the coffee table. It was time to get to work and continue cleaning up the house.

Although Halloween had long been put away, the spiders had different ideas about making a home here. Mahoro shook her head. Weeds in the summer, cobwebs in the fall. Taking care of a house was a very time-consuming, labor-intense activity. But the end result was a home to be proud of. No more of the "Misato Haunted House."

As she tidied up, she saw the pile of disheveled newspapers. As she tried to sort them together properly, one section defied being folded at all. She had to take it apart to discover what the problem was, which turned out to be a bit of food stuck to the crease. As she removed it, her eyes were drawn to an ad on the opposite page.

A woman was wearing a bikini, showing off her fabulous figure. She was promoting Dr. Payoo Payo, an expert in augmentation and body sculpting. Mahoro was about to fold the paper up when her eyes alighted on a key phrase: "Try Before You Buy!" She thought for a moment. How could this be done? She also saw that a free consultation was offered.

Pondering the possibilities, she went over to the phone and dialed the number. "Dr. Payo's Office, please hold." She was then greeted with some very bland music. One could easily fall asleep with that tune rattling about your head. After a few moments, the receptionist came back on line. "Dr. Payo's office. How may I help you?"

"I saw the ad in the paper and was interested in a free consultation. I would like to schedule an appointment?"

"We just had a cancellation. Can you get down here in, say….20 minutes?"

Mahoro brightened up. This was great. "I will be there."

"And your name, please?"

"Mahoro Ando."

"When you arrive, there will be a bit of paperwork to fill out, so if you could get here a little sooner, that would be great. See you in a bit."

Mahoro hung up the phone, got her bag and headed to the roof of the house, where she called upon her Sylpheed. This would be much easier to use and would get her there in nothing flat. Sailing out, her mind raced with a lot of thoughts. She wasn't really sure if a regular doctor could even do the operation properly, owing to her "special" needs and if she could even afford it on her own, but she at least wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and present a better case to Hokaze.

The autumn air had just a hint of chill in it, as the wind whipped against her face. She also had to make certain that she wasn't that obvious, as she soared across town. Finding her building, she alighted on the roof, and then headed down to the street. She came out of the alley and went into the building properly, wending her way to the correct office.

Inside the office, it was just like any other medical location: piles of ancient magazines, oddly nebulous artwork on the walls to calm one's nerves and two other women, awaiting their appointments. She pushed the buzzer next to the sliding glass window and it opened, where one of the receptionists greeted her.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"My name is Mahoro Ando and I have an appointment with the doctor." The receptionist looked at her scheduling log.

"You just called this in? You made record time getting here." She handed her a clipboard. "Please fill out some basic information for the doctor, so he may address your case more fully. Ahh, a consultation. Wrong clipboard." She swiftly exchanged clipboards and pointed Mahoro to a seat to fill it all out. "I will call you when the doctor is ready."

Mahoro looked at the paperwork. She really hated to lie about herself, but there were some things that the general public did not need to know about her. She remembered when Shikijo came by to get information and Suguru almost had a conniption over it. She filled out the data to give some semblance of normalcy.

Just as she finished, the window opened up. "Ms. Ando, the doctor will see you now." She gave her the clipboard and Mahoro was ushered through the door into the back. Inside was a far different look. There were pictures of women in bathing suits and dresses, showing off their stunning figures; all were very proud of the results.

Mahoro was escorted to a large office and given a seat. "The doctor will be in momentarily," she was told. Mahoro looked about the office. The walls were festooned with numerous medical degrees from all over, not just Japan, but America and Canada as well. The office itself was comfortable, but there was nothing to tell you what the doctor actually did.

She heard a rap on the door and the doctor came in. For someone with as much experience as he claimed to have, he looked rather young. He was flipping thought the clipboard papers as he came to the seat. "Ms. Ando….?"

"Yes?" Mahoro perked up and leaned forward.

The doctor put the clipboard down and faced her. "I am going to get right to the point. Why do you want augmentation?"

Mahoro responded with no hesitation. "I believe that larger breasts will make me feel more like a woman. This is something I have wished for."

The doctor nodded. "I like that answer; it was immediate. It shows that you have been considering this for some time and you are ready for the next step. This is important. I want you to get this augmentation for the right reasons."

"The right reasons?" Mahoro looked perplexed.

"Some women get it because a neighbor down the way did so, or that their boyfriend wanted them to get it or a variety of hesitant explanations. For me, I want you to do it for the proper reason and that you are ready for it. I never want to hear anyone say 'I wish I didn't get that operation.' That is why I may grill you a bit. I want to know that your reasons are genuine and your commitment is strong."

Mahoro nodded as the doctor gave her a binder to look at. "In here are several Before and After shots of the work that I do. Among the other things we discuss is the eventual size that you may wish. Again, I want you happy with your choice."

Mahoro looked through the variety of photos. Suguru would lose his mind if he saw this, she thought to herself, flipping through page after page of photos. "How many operations have you done, if I may ask?"

"I have done nearly 2000 operations with no major complications. I achieve this by, again, making sure of what it is you want. I have been known to decline a patient if I feel that there is something wrong or improper. I would rather lose a client than have someone ruing their choice. I want YOU to be happy every single day and have no regrets."

"'Try Before You Buy'? It is a rather odd statement."

"But it gets your attention, doesn't it? I have put together a kit of different sizes for you to wear. It is easy to say '91 cm C', but what does that really mean? This kit allows you to see and feel what it is like to be a particular size." The doctor stood up and went to a closet to withdraw two suitcases, which he placed by the desk. Then he went into the desk to pull out a bra, which he laid on the table in front of Mahoro.

"This is what you would be getting. You would wear this as you would a normal bra, and it offers support for you. But it is of the same girth, weight and feel as though you were that particular size. Would you stand up, please?" The doctor motioned for her to arise. "And would you put your arms above your head; I need to measure you."

Mahoro did as she was asked and the doctor was quick with his work. "Thank you. You may sit down." The doctor went back to his seat and made a couple of notes on her paperwork. "Considering your size, I am going to send along six of these examples. Although I have an idea of what the best size is for you, I want YOU to tell me. Again, this is your decision and I want you to be content with it." The doctor opened up the larger of the two suitcases as he continued to speak.

"The first one will contain an 86B, a 91B, a 91C, a 96C and a 101D. I want to give you a range so you can make an informed decision." He motioned her to come around and look at the contents. She was a bit unsettled about the sizes. It just looked so odd.

"What is in the other suitcase?" she asked, pointing to the smaller valise.

"That is the Moose. Some women want to know what it is like to have a very large bust. Personally, it can be a major headache to be that immense, so this is a safe way to see how that really feels. There comes a point when one is just showing off."

Mahoro was intrigued. "Uh, how big is it?"

The doctor picked up another folder and flipped through it, then placed it in front of Mahoro. As he was putting it down, he said "112DD, so it would look like this."

Mahoro stared at the picture. It was almost too much to comprehend, but one thought went through her head: That is certainly bigger than Shikijo. She looked up to the doctor.

"So, what do you say, Ms. Ando?"

"I would like to give it a try, including the Moose."

The doctor smiled. "Good, good. I just need you to fill out this rental agreement and I will need a deposit, which will be refunded upon return of the items. I mean, when I started out, these things were flying out the door. I almost decided to change my profession and go into making these!" He smiled as Mahoro filled out the paperwork.

"Now, the loan period is two weeks. Most women make their decision in less time than that, but, as always, I want to you be sure of what it is you want." He looked over the paperwork, shook her hand and pointed her to the two suitcases. "There are washing instructions enclosed, so they will come back as good as they went out."

"This will be done, and thank you, doctor." Mahoro fairly floated out of the building. Once away from curious eyes, she called upon the Sylpheed and got home rapidly. Heading upstairs to her room, she opened the larger suitcase and pulled out the smallest bra. Smallest, she thought, is still larger than I am. She quickly changed out and put it on. There certainly was more to contend with, but not much more than what she already had.

She looked in the mirror. She was bigger, but not immediately recognizable as such. Well, let's give this a real workout and see how it functions. Heading back downstairs, she did her normal chores. She wasn't sure if she was extra aware of them, but it felt like they were shifting more so than her regular self.

No, I need to ignore it and just do my chores. Getting to work, the house was vacuumed free of cobwebs, the floor wiped down, the woodwork dusted and the laundry attended to. After a while, Mahoro forget about her addition and did the cleaning up. As she was getting ready with the afternoon snack, Suguru came home.

"I'm back, Mahoro, and what a day of school it was."

"Please seat yourself and I will bring out something to eat." As Mahoro approached the table, carrying the treats, she noticed Suguru's expression had changed to one of puzzlement. "Is there something wrong?" she asked.

Suguru had a sip of his tea but stared at Mahoro, trying not to look like he was staring at her. "There is something different about you, but I just can't put my finger on it." Mahoro said nothing, but stood a bit straighter than normal. Suguru continued. "You certainly seem perkier. I guess you had a really good day."

Mahoro thought for a moment. "Yes, I think I really did have a good day." She nodded. He senses it; he noticed, she thought. She really wanted to tell him, but she felt it was best if he said it. She remembered the first day after she used the Pi Deal Alpha machine and that he had to be coaxed into noticing things he didn't really notice.

Suguru ate at his snack. "I certainly know that feeling. You feel like you are just going to bust out. Well, I have a bit of homework to attend to, so I will be in my room." He got up to leave, still trying to puzzle things out. Mahoro tended to the dishes, until she heard the door to his room shut.

Scampering upstairs to her room, she changed out and decided to go for a larger size, but opted for the 91C. As she looked in the mirror, she saw that it was a dramatic increase for her. There is no way he could miss it this time, she mulled. She was a bit enraptured with her figure. I really do look like a woman, she nodded. She went downstairs to finish up dinner preparations. As she put the dishes on the table, Suguru came into the kitchen.

"I couldn't work with all those lovely smells coming up to my room and…" He stopped and stared. Mahoro could see the gears turning in his head, trying to comprehend something, but she wasn't going to help him along. "Uh….is dinner almost ready?" he asked, as he sat down, almost missing the chair.

"In just a moment. I need to let the noodles cool a bit, then, we can eat." Mahoro was aware that Suguru was really staring at her, as she brought the food over to him very close and sat down. She looked at Suguru, whose eyes were shuttling between her face and her bust line. What is going on in his mind, she wondered. He wants to say something, but doesn't know what to say.

As she served herself dinner, the door flew open and in came Shikijo. "I don't know how much longer I will be able to handle days like this. It just runs right through me. I hope dinner is ready because…" She stopped and stared at Mahoro stood upright. She put her hands in front of her as she normally did and noticed that her upper arms brushed against the sides of the prostheses, which caused it to thrust out a bit.

Shikijo looked aghast. "What have you been doing to yourself? Did you get another one of those Alpha machines? Or were you able to repair the first one?" Shikijo came over and walked about Mahoro gazing intently at her bust. "It isn't possible, but it is!"

"What isn't possible?" drawled Suguru.

Shikijo turned to gape at Suguru, waggling a finger at him. "Of all people, Suguru-kun, I would think you would be the very first to notice." She poked at Mahoro's chest, who promptly slapped her hand away.

"Please, Shikijo-sensei. A real lady would never be so forward!" commented Mahoro. Suguru's eyes grew large as it finally sunk in.

Suguru stood up. "I thought so, but…but I just didn't want to say anything like that! I mean, I don't think of Mahoro in that way. What I mean to mean is….." Suguru was getting flustered and sweaty, so he sat down on the couch to organize his thoughts. Shikijo was on the offensive, boring right into Mahoro.

"It doesn't matter what you do or what you think you can do, you're not even half the woman I am!" challenged Shikijo.

Mahoro came up to her and thrust herself out defiantly. "On the contrary, I think I'm easily ALL the woman you are!"

Shikijo began to twitch, her left eye blinking erratically, and then turned to Suguru, practically purring with charm. "Tell me, Suguru, who really is the better woman?"

The sweat dribbled down his face as both of them presented their femininity to him for his approval. "Uh…..uh….uh….." Why was this happening to him? They could burn out a bearing in regards to ecchi, but when it was the real deal, well…………

Shikijo sat next to him and drew him close. "What you really need is a woman of experience, a real woman to guide you on the road to manhood."

Mahoro sat down on the other end of the couch and drew Suguru close to her. "What he really needs is a firm hand and a clear eye to teach him how a real adult acts!"

Shikijo grasped Suguru and pulled him into her, his head landing in her cleavage. "There is nothing you can teach him that I cannot teach him, and I can teach it better than you ever can."

Mahoro retrieved Suguru and pulled him close to her, his head landing in Mahoro's cleavage. "There are things I can teach him that you have no concept of or perhaps no real experience in!"

Shikijo tugged Suguru back into her. "You are outclassed and out pointed on this one!"

Mahoro retrieved Suguru and brought him to her side of the couch. "I'm never outclassed by the likes of you and certainly not to be out pointed!"

Getting battered about, Suguru managed to squeak out something. "Ladies! Ladies! A lovely dinner is getting cold. Perhaps it would be bust…BEST to have something to eat first! Yes, a marvelous idea!" Both of them grumped, and then both took him to the table, each holding an arm of his. He was seated, and then Mahoro and Shikijo sat across from him. Each sat up tall and proud, so Suguru wasn't going to miss a single thing.

Dinner was consumed in silence, but the tension was very high. Mahoro was wondering what Shikijo was going to do next. She had to be ready to counter it with something.

Shikijo began to fan herself, putting down the chopsticks and making a grand production out of it. "Oh, my, you really keep it warm in this house." And she undid the top button of her blouse to expose a touch more cleavage. Suguru almost choked on his rice ball.

Mahoro knew that she had to retaliate, but with a bit more panache. Suguru, meanwhile, was gulping down huge glasses of water, to counteract the near endless stream of sweat he was producing. His shirt was showing massive puddles under his arms

Mahoro nodded; she had to raise the stakes. "Excuse me, but I need to get another shirt for Suguru. I'll be back in a moment." She left the table and went upstairs. Selecting a looser shirt for him, she went into her room. She locked the door, as she remembered when Shikijo hid in the closet on that particular evening to humiliate her about the Alpha machine. Mahoro pulled out the suitcase from the closet and changed, going for the 96C. She was getting rather stuffed into her maid outfit, but she would not lose to Shikijo.

Coming downstairs, she handed the shirt to Suguru and sat back down to eat. She smiled to herself as she felt Shikijo staring at her. She was large enough for this one to be noticed. She glanced at her plate and then over to Shikijo, who quickly stared at her plate.

"It appears you need a bit more dinner; let me give you seconds." She arose and went to fetch some more dinner for Shikijo, making sure that both of them could see her extra self. She served Shikijo and sat back down. Suguru was now in a near-hypnotic state, gazing at both Mahoro and her expansiveness.

Shikijo leaned forward, her bust shoving the plate slightly towards Suguru. Mahoro saw this and followed suit. Suguru watched as they slowly inched closer to him, the plates scraping atop the table. He had a feeling that he was going to die tonight, as a result of all this. He imagined the headline in tomorrow's paper: 'Local Boy Killed in Battle of the Bulges'. He said nothing but they came so far over, their plates were touching his.

Shikijo then turned on Mahoro. "OK, what's going on here?"

Mahoro looked very innocent. "Dinner, and then dessert. Nothing more."

Shikijo stood up and pointed a finger at her. "'Nothing more.' You're not fooling me. I know something is afoot. Nobody is 'back in a moment' and…and…and…I am going to uncover your little tricks!" Shikijo was so over-heated, she had to undo another button on her blouse, and then sat down. Mahoro merely smiled and had more dinner.

Suguru, meanwhile, had stopped eating, absolutely frozen in place, much like a window display manikin. He felt as though his brain was going to explode at any given moment and he did not know how much more of this he could take.

"And what are we having for dessert?" muttered Shikijo through gritted teeth.

"Ice cream. And I want to make sure that Suguru get two extra large scoops, as I know how much he really enjoys that."

Suguru lost it. "AAAAAAAGH!" Bolting upright, he put his hands to the side of his head and tore up the stairs, the bedroom door slamming hard behind him.

Both of them looked up the stairs, then to each other.

"I wonder what got into him?" puzzled Mahoro. Shikijo closed her eyes and shook her head. It as going to be a long evening and the night was still young.

.

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 248 DAYS**

End Notes

This story has proven to be the most problematic of all that I have written, as you need to approach it in the proper way and not come off as some really perverted drooling fanboy fiction, making your characters bend to your will and not theirs.

I have read enough "adult" fanfic to realize that just because you can write about your favorite characters doing this or that or the other thing doesn't mean you SHOULD. But I did want to address a tale that really looked at Mahoro's bust line obsession.

In concert with her "Dirty thoughts are bad", is she a hypocrite in these matters? I say no.

The first part deals with the ogling and lewd thoughts about women. I can see her ideas about that. Women are not to be gazed upon solely for the "fun parts", but for the people that they are. We must treat women with dignity and respect. (She really goes into detail on this when she lectures Suguru upon finding his stash of magazines.)

HOWEVER, this does not stop Mahoro from wanting to feel "more of a woman" and with all the attention that Ms. Shikijo gets, Mahoro believes that not only will she be a better person, but a better woman, so this "lust for bust" is still in harmony with her overall views. Plus, it will silence Shikijo (Really, not; I personally feel it opens the door for even more torment.)

The actual idea for this story comes from a rerun of "Designing Women", when the Annie Potts character decides she wants breast augmentation. She eventually chooses not to, but her doctor gave her a series of bras that allowed her to see and feel what it was like to be a larger size. I just stepped it up to the next level.

Another concern was not to get lascivious in all this. It is just an opportunity for Mahoro to examine herself and her feelings, but to also have another lovely run-in with Shikijo.

As to the sizes, I had to realize that the rest of the world does NOT do inches, so I had to convert to centimeters. For those of you who are curious, the sizes are: 34B, 36B, 36C, 38C, 40D and 44DD, as Mahoro appears to be a 32B.

Payoo Payo is actually a slang term, which means 'big breasts'. It would be akin for a doctor here to be called Hugh Titzlinger or something along those lines. I came upon their term through an "alternate" translation of the manga, so it does make it tough to stay on top of things when all kinds of different approaches are available.


	17. Chapter 17, The Bigger, The Better?

"The Bigger, the Better?"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

November 14th

Mahoro had been up for 20 minutes, sitting on the bed, but still had not gotten dressed for the day, as she was pondering her options. Last night had told her a lot about people's reactions to her new figure. She was considering whether she should step up to the next size, the 101D, or remain with the 96C.

She decided to go with the larger and then step back if it was required, but she was having some doubts. However, that WAS the point of all this, 'Try Before You Buy'. Not only to examine how she felt about all this, but how other people reacted to all of this as well. And they were certainly reacting! She arose and got dressed for the day.

She was very aware as to how heavy they were getting. It did require a lot of effort to maintain this approach, but she felt that this was ultimately the way she wanted to go. However, this particular test was creating additional problems she hadn't foreseen. She had a rather hard time getting her maid outfit on, as it wasn't really designed for someone of such increased girth as she was now becoming.

Mahoro eventually got herself dressed, but it was quite obvious how snug her uniform was. She gazed at herself in the mirror. She felt she really wanted to have herself this big. Not just to prove a point to Shikijo-sensei, but to prove a point to herself. Heading downstairs, she started breakfast and prepared for the rest of the day.

As she finished up Suguru's bento, he came down to eat. He seemed a bit draggy and when he saw Mahoro larger than ever, there was apparently no immediate reaction from him. Mahoro seemed a bit hurt by all that. She served breakfast to him, and then sat down across from him.

"Are you all right? Are you feeling feverish?" She reached over to feel his forehead.

Suguru looked up at her, and then quickly turned himself away from her, so he was looking at the wall. "Mahoro, I need to tell you something, but I can't look at you when I say this. I do think it is important that it be said." Mahoro sat upright in her seat, her immense breasts resting upon the table.

Suguru made a side glace at them, but stiffened his resolve. "Whatever it is you are doing to yourself, I would like it if you would please stop." Mahoro looked stunned as Suguru continued, gasping for air like a stranded fish.

"I know what this means to you, but you need to know what you mean to me. On the one hand, part of me is just jumping with joy. When I first saw you on the bus that day in June, I thought you were the cutest girl I had ever seen. I was hoping that I could get someone as pretty as you to be my maid, to wake me up in the morning, your lovely breasts hanging down to greet me. There is an ample bosom, on which I can rest my weary head, when you hold me and need to protect me. And for someone as hopeless as I am, it is a dream come true."

Surugu looked over to Mahoro for a moment, and then looked away, his face reddening with every passing moment, the sweat dribbling down. "I can't look at you now, because if I do, I won't be able to say this in the way it needs to be said. The other part of me doesn't think of you in that manner, because you don't think of friends that way.

"If you wanted to change anything about you, I would support your decision. If you wished to dye your hair red, that would be fine. If you chose to wear just a t-shirt and shorts rather than your maid uniform, I have no problem with that. If you feel that you must….increase your bust, then, so be it. But I don't want it to change the core person."

Mahoro started to come over to Suguru, but he kept angling away. He really could not bring himself to look at her right now. She stopped chasing him about and let him continue. She stood off to one side, so she was in his blind spot. He went on.

"If I had to choose between large breasts and a large heart, I'll take the heart every time. Just because Shikijo-sensei has large breasts doesn't make her a better person. In fact, she will never be better than you, in any manner or form. I know she can be a bit of a handful…uh, I mean, a bit much to tolerate, but that is because she knows she can never be who you are: pure of heart and kind of heart and gentle of heart."

Suguru paused to catch his breath. He felt like he was going to hyperventilate and pass out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mahoro looking sad. He turned about to see tears on her cheeks. Immediately, he stood up and came over to her. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Like I said, if this is what you want…."

Mahoro gave him a big hug. Suguru flinched, as her breasts pushed into him. This is a weird sensation, he thought, as he returned the hug.

"Oh, Suguru. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. This means a great deal coming from you." Mahoro held him closer and Suguru was absolutely melting from it. His brain was on fire as dirty thoughts careened about his overheated fornix. There was so much he really, REALLY wanted to do with Mahoro, to Mahoro, on Mahoro, but he had to hold himself in check. His words had to mean something, not only to her, but to him. They could not be empty or baseless blatherings.

Mahoro then looked into Suguru's eyes. "This will help me a lot. I know now what I want and what I have to do. You get yourself ready for school." Wiping the tears from her eyes, she went back into the kitchen to finish up her chores. Suguru's sat back at the table, his head landed onto it with a heavy thud. He had been sweating a great deal over the last 12 hours and was afraid he would shrivel away to nothing.

Suguru was sent on his way to school, albeit a bit tottering from weakness. Mahoro went back into the house and changed out, putting the items back into the suitcase. She still wanted the augmentation, but she knew that she did not have to go overboard for it. She now knew how to phrase her request to get better results from Vesper for it. As she stared into the open suitcase, she thought how nice it would be to have pictures of herself and….a new thought presented itself to her.

Getting out the phonebook, she made a series of calls. Once that was done, she grabbed the two suitcases and left the house. In the yard, Slash was lounging about.

"Slash, I need to step out for a couple of hours. Please watch the house."

Not a problem," he said and rolled back over, going to sleep.

As Mahoro headed down the street, her departure did not go unnoticed. To everyone else, it looked like a father taking his younger child for a walk, but looks could be very deceiving. The young boy spoke into a cell phone.

"Base, this is 227. Subject has left the house and we will tail. I am going to activate the Capture Drone. I will report on progress."

Oblivious to all this, Mahoro took the suitcases downtown, but she was not going back to the doctor's office. Instead, she went into Focus On You, a photo studio. She was greeted by a rather studious person.

"Ah, yes, my 10 o'clock; Ms. Ando. Do you have what you might need?"

She held up the suitcases. "I think I do." She was escorted to a back area where she put down the suitcases.

"Have you given thought to what you wanted to do?"

Mahoro nodded. "I would like it to come off like those glamour photos for actors."

The photographer nodded. "Yes. So a shot like this…." He got a binder and showed a series of photos. There were head shots and moderate body shots. "Is this what you had in mind?"

Mahoro nodded. "Yes, but in color, rather than black-and-white."

"Is this what you are going to wear?" he gestured towards her outfit.

"Yes. Why?"

"Not to dissuade you, but your outfit is rather monochromatic, save for your brooch and ascot. I think I could do some really fabulous work in black-and-white. Let me show you." He seated her and put up some basic lighting. Grabbing an instant camera, he took one shot, swapped out cameras and took another shot. "I want to show you how we can make it look good in both direction, but I can make the monochrome better."

When the shots were ready he showed them to her. "Let me explain. With the gray scale, I can play up light and shadow better. I can soften your skin tones and get a sharp clarity to the edges.

"If you were going to show a bit more skin, then I would have no qualms in going with the color, but I feel that it does not take full advantage of the colors. I mean, a green background is just not fully worth it to have color shots. I do want you to think about this as I get some things ready." Mahoro looked at the test shots as the photographer set up.

Meanwhile, outside, 227 sat on a bench, feeding the pigeons, trying to look normal, the drone at the ready. He spoke into the phone. "Base, this may take a while. I am going to leave the drone here while I investigate further."

Inside, the photographer had Mahoro sitting on a stool as he took a series of base shots. She was impressed as to how quickly and efficiently he worked. "So, I am taking these basic shots and we can discuss effects later. Some people wish to have a dreamlike quality to them."

"I would like a nice sharp and clear photo. I want them to see everything is crisp detail."

"Good, good. That makes things so much easier. Now, what is in your suitcases? Different outfits? Certain props or items you require?"

"Well, yes and no," said Mahoro, as she blushed. She went over and opened them for him to see. He merely nodded.

"Dr. Payoo Payo, right?" Mahoro nodded. "I know exactly what to do. I really love that guy." He went over and brought another binder to Mahoro. "Take a look at these."

Mahoro opened the binder and saw wonderful photos of these women with the appliances on. She was really impressed as to how he made everyone look so pretty and not freakish. She saw how well he really was able to render the photos in black-and-white.

"Did you get the Moose?" he asked. Mahoro again nodded. He set up a dressing screen off to one side and moved the suitcases behind it. "I am ready when you are ready."

Mahoro came out and sat on the stool as the photographer made some final light meter tests. He got behind the camera and waited…and waited….and waited. He then peered about the camera and looked at her. Mahoro looked back at him. "Is there a problem?" she asked.

"I might inquire the same of you." He came over to her, looking pensive. "A photograph does more than show what can be seen; it can also show what can be felt. But I am not seeing what you feel."

Mahoro looked puzzled. The photographer continued. "Did you ever see 'The Little Mermaid'? When they were in character design, Glen Keane, head animator, told his staff that 'Ariel is sexy in an innocent way, unaware of her natural charm and appeal.' These photos I'm taking are not of some cheap floozy or some pneumatic bimbo or some gold-plated hussy. They are of you, as you want to be remembered, and something to be proud of, not hidden away as some kind of terrible mistake."

He put his fingers on her eyelids, closing her eyes. "I want you to feel; not think, but feel. I want you to feel what it is like when you wear these appliances. I want you to show me your sensations, your dreams, your emotions, what you are experiencing when you put these on. Your thoughts will direct how you want to be seen and, more importantly, those feelings that you have."

He took his fingers off her eyes. "Keep your eyes closed and explore. Do what you believe you must to show me how you feel, how you want yourself to feel. When you are fully ready, open your eyes and we shall begin."

Mahoro kept her eyes close and searched herself, examining all those reasons that she wanted the fuller bust line. What it meant for her and what she was hoping to accomplish. A warm sensation filled her, a friendly, happy wave that buoyed her spirits. Yes, she thought to herself, that is exactly what I want. She opened her eyes. "I think I am ready."

"Yes, I think you are as well," he commented and the first photo was taken.

Mahoro was surprised how quickly the entire session went, even when she changed out from size to size. She did need a little help with the Moose, but it all went smoothly. It was all done with a high degree of professionalism and taste; something to be proud of when it was all done. When he finished the last shot, he spoke. "What I am going to do is work up a contact print for you and then you can select the shots that you may want. This will take a couple of days. I have your number to call you when they are ready. Do you wish to change out?"

"No, I think I'll wear the Moose home with me. It will be my only opportunity to do so. The doctor was right. It IS a bit impractical." She gestured to herself. "This is a lot of work. Thank you, again, for all that you have done." Picking up her suitcases, she left the studio. The warm feeling was still with her as she fairly strode from the store, a huge smile across her face. She felt wonderful.

Across the street, 227 and the robot watched her leave and began to give a loose pursuit. However, the robot began to outpace 227, in a mono-minded attempt to track down Mahoro. 227 debated keeping up with him, but decided instead to watch both the hunter and the hunted in this transaction.

At first, Mahoro was just walking along, taking in the slightly cooler afternoon weather, but she was aware that something wasn't right. She was getting that odd feeling again and it wasn't from wearing the Moose. Her happy feeling was fading away as the apprehension grew. So clued in to getting to the source of this anxiety, she was oblivious to the reactions about her, as people walked into light poles, crashed over small dogs and smacked into other people gaping at her. She was leaving a small swath of destruction behind her.

Someone is following me, she thought, but are they going to comment on my figure or do they want something else? The last two times I felt this way, I was correct with my feelings. Not wishing to take any chances, she began a series of maneuvers to flush out this phantom follower. If it was something worse, she wanted to be far away from civilians, in case a fight broke out.

As she turned into an alley, she ran to the end of it, dropped the suitcases and spun about to see the robot there, blocking the exit. He fired off some kind of ensnaring device at her. Mahoro barely got out of the way, her balance off-center, owing to the Moose. The net scraped against her chest, but could not fully latch on to her. Realizing she needed more room, she leapt up to the roof, the robot in hot pursuit. She had to push herself hard against the drag of the prostheses.

Atop the roof, the robot was relentless in trying to capture her. Mahoro's other problem was staying ahead of it all. The Moose was just getting in the way of everything, but she had no time to do something else, save remaining out of reach. As she pondered her options, the robot was on her mind as well. Another snare trap was fired and it missed, but it grazed her feet.

This was the same caliber of robot that tracked her two weeks earlier, but better attuned to things and less prone to reacting erratically. But who could be doing this and why? She had a hunch, but no clear evidence that this was the case.

They leapt from rooftop to rooftop. This robot was more aggressive than the last one, so Mahoro knew she had to make a stand somewhere. While in flight, she tore off her uniform top and undid the Moose, holding it like a sling. She landed on one roof, turned about and leapt back, while the other robot was in the air.

Mahoro made a movement that she was going to arc lower, but soared higher instead. The robot fired at where she wasn't. Before he could recover for another shot, as they passed, she smacked him hard in the head with the Moose, which sent the robot reeling. Now, unencumbered by the protuberances, Mahoro's agility was unmatched.

Alighting on the roof, she dropped the Moose, unsheathed her thigh sword and headed back to the robot, which was staggering about. She made short work of the robot, as an arcing pirouette put her out of range of his weapons and when she came close to him, her speed was almost blinding. The capture drone never stood a chance.

Finally tracking them down, 227 relayed the information back to headquarters as he watched from another roof. "Robot has been defeated. Send out the retrieval squad to the Nakatomi Tower. You may wish to consider Project 370 at this point. I will give a full report upon my return."

Staring at the smoking hulk of the robot, Mahoro looked about but saw no one else. She undid her yellow hair ribbon and tied it about her chest. It was bad enough she had to ruin another maid outfit, but there was no reason to run around in such an exposed manner. She retrieved the Moose and headed back to the alley to get the suitcases.

The Moose was put into its case, and then she called upon the Sylpheed to get her home fast. Acting as though nothing had happened, she went about her normal chores, which meant cleaning the prosthetics up, placing them back in the cases properly, changing her outfits, retying her hair ribbon and heading one last time to the doctor's office.

When she got there, she brought the cases into the back area. The receptionist was perplexed as she stared at them. "You had them for about a day…"

Mahoro smiled. "You learn about things faster than you realize. Please, let the doctor know that I am grateful for this opportunity, but I don't think the time is quite right."

The receptionist smiled. "I understand. Should that time arrive, I hope that you will consider us." She finished up the last of the paperwork and the deposit was returned.

"Yes, I certainly will." Mahoro looked at the clock. "Oh, my, is that the time? I really have to go now." She bowed and left the office.

Once back at home, she busied herself with getting things ready for Suguru's arrival after school. For someone in 'retirement', she was certainly leading a more active life than imagined. But she still couldn't figure out who was sending these robots after her. The thought was pushed from her mind as she had to get a nice snack prepared for Suguru when he came home, which she finished just in time.

"Mahoro, I'm back. Glad to leave school behind," he called out

She presented herself to him. "Welcome home. Do you notice anything different?"

He looked at her for a moment. "Your smile, which is the prettiest thing of all."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 247 DAYS**

End Notes

Another aspect of writing these fanfics is time placement. My personal philosophy is that I do not want to run over other stories in the timeline. For example, I cannot have her having dinner with Suguru when he is otherwise out of town, or she can't be in a TV studio fighting other chefs when she is to be downtown fighting robots.

But you also have to balance the kind of reality. As I mentioned in the Halloween episode, I need to show better the early probings by the Keepers of Mahoro and her abilities, rather then just dump it all on people with the arrival of Minawa.

I also had to put a bit of time balance between the first incident (October 31st, and this is my take on the story arc) and Minawa (December 8th, which is their part of the narrative), as though Management had a series of plans set to go if the previous one failed. And the attack on Minawa is confusing, only because I cannot see Management blowing off 54 million in this failed attempt to "recapture" 370. (This was the fee cited by them, owing to the destruction of the three Man Eaters and the delay of the program. Dr. Kanaan was on the hook for 10 of the costs. A nice way to do business, eh?)

If you read the manga, the whole Minawa affair was a plant right from the get-go AND with the death of some Management/Keeper flunky to keep it all real. (The robots that followed Minawa are just as equally destroyed in print as in picture).

The reason for this time management problem is the manga. There is at least a nine-day chunk of time and potentially a few days longer in middle to late November, when Mahoro was asked to find bombs that had been placed about a Vesper-sponsored academy by a rogue Keeper.

The anime sort of touches on this, when they had an episode of Mahoro looking for a bomb at Suguru's school that turned out to be Shikijo trying to find a time capsule of embarrassing love letters and school-girl poetry of love she wrote while she was a student at that very school.

As to Suguru's speech, that kind of reflects my feeling about all of this, that mixed emotions. I mean, when you first start to write fan fiction, there is a tendency to write "adult" stories. I have a monstrous pile of the carnal activities of Ariel, Belle, Jane Porter (from Tarzan) Mira Nova (Buzz Lightyear of Star Command), Jasmine and Jessica Rabbit. But I don't think of Mahoro that way.

I mean, what can you really do with a lemon fic or a lime fic of Mahoro? Would you even want to do one of her? You potentially couldn't even do one involving Shikijo, unless it was going to remain in the gardens of her mind.

Certainly in the realm of all of this, she is a bit of an oddity. I mean, she's rather delicate in her figure (meanwhile, Shikijo is looming across the landscape.) In the manga, Miyuki makes a comment that she finds Mahoro's body is nicely shaped (but it doesn't stop her and Chizo from buying their own Pi Deal Alpha machine) and both Chizo and Miyuki "attack" Rin at the hot springs in regards to her bust line.

Could someone explain to me all this clutchy-feely stuff I'm seeing? I mean, the same thing happens to Mahoro at the Academy, when Shiori and Yaeko check her out as well, relieved that she is just as 'flat' as they are. I know of the Western obsession with bust lines, but is it also an Eastern obsession as well, or just something that crops up in comics, manga and animes?

OK, I don't want to hear a single word about using the Nakatomi Tower.


	18. Chapter 18, An Evening WithHokaze

An Evening With….Hokaze

By Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

November 15th

Professor Hokaze looked more like a mad scientist in a bad horror movie than a respected scientist for Vesper. He was wearing a thick radiation suit and what appeared to be welder's goggles beneath the high-topped head covering.

His laboratory had been converted into a scene from a war picture. Huge screens of Lexan or ABS plastic stood in front of much of the machinery and computers, along with mountains of sandbagging. Anything that did not need to be in the area had been moved out to afford the space for the operating theater

He peered around from behind his sand bunker and shielding at Mahoro, who was laid out flat on an operating table. Around her was an enormous oval, connected at both ends to an equally enormous power unit. Each unit was about the size of a bedroom, a cube ten meters large in all directions.

Thick power cables, appearing more like sewer lines, disappeared into a pair of holes into the floor. Hokaze was fiddling with the instrumentation before he came out to talk to Mahoro. The suit was cumbersome, so instead of walking naturally, he lumbered in a rocking motion. When he got close enough to Mahoro, he began to speak. "Muff fgtrflgm gwsoeke chgnerj."

Mahoro shook her head 'no'. "I can't hear a word you're saying."

Hokaze looked at her. "Wqsla nvvdht ewopdkgj ypjlio."

Mahoro spoke louder. "I…CAN'T…HEAR…A…WORD…YOU'RE…SAY…ING!"

Hokaze shook his head, and then took off the head covering. "I can't hear a word you're saying." Mahoro made a rueful smile as Hokaze continued to speak.

"Now, this particular approach worked excellently in the numerous simulations we ran, so I have very high hopes in being able to restore power to you. At the very least, we may be able to create a kind of balance with all this." He stood back and gazed at it, giving a contented sigh. "Some of my best work, too." Then he looked down at Mahoro.

"What we are going to do is pass a current through you." He made a motion like he was going to dive, pushing his hands out and across in a wavy gesture. "This oval is going to allow energy to flow from one side of it to the other. My original ideas focused primarily on the power unit itself. This plan is a kind of infusion, where we send power waves across you and a residual energy remains behind to recharge the power unit."

Mahoro looked at the massive power blocks. "Do you need that much energy?"

Hokaze smiled at her. "Fortune favors the prepared. One reason that I have this suit on. I could potentially be turned into a burnt chicken if I am not careful. You, however, are made of sterner stuff. You may feel oddly, but nothing dangerous. But this approach causes some problems." He walked towards one of the block, Mahoro turning her head to watch him.

"These Energy Cubes generates a massive electromagnetic field, so I cannot attach sensors to you, as they would be fried. POFARP! I am using telemetry to keep apprised of your situation. This also means that there is no way to communicate. Any caliber of devise will be rendered useless by the field and it will be so noisy, you couldn't hear me even if I had a huge amplifier, barking at you.

"In fact, almost anything metal would be trouble, which is why you are on a plastic table, for all intents and purposes. Also, the energy created is like a force field, so it will hold you in place, one reason there are no straps. Also, they would just get in the way of things."

"I will be OK, won't I, Professor Hokaze?" Mahoro seemed concerned.

"You will be just fine. I would never do anything to put you into harm's way. By the time we get to this point, we have run countless simulations and scenarios to determine the efficacy of what we are doing, as well as the potential drawbacks. Your safety and well-being is utmost in our minds. Now, if you will excuse me, it's time for me to work." He put his head covering back on and retreated to the safety of his bunker.

He turned a few more knobs and dials and took a deep breath. The suit was stuffy and claustrophobic and the air conditioning unit inside of it merely pushed around the hot air. He had gotten the best gloves he could find, but they were still rather bulky, the main reason he had such oversized knobs, dials and keyboards for his equipment. He examined his calculations one more time, to assure himself of the outcome, and then engaged the power.

A humming could be heard, as it rose in pitch. Hokaze looked at the three main power displays for him: the first was Mahoro's energy level, the second was the energy levels of the two units and the third was overall power consumption. This plan could potentially draw too much power from the local grid and if it went over the 67% mark, there would be an automatic shutdown.

He watched as the primary power source began to climb. He would need, at the least, the 50% mark to be hit and maintained before he could start the recharge. The only number that remained the same was Mahoro's. The energy block readouts finally crested their minimums, but he had barely gotten to 25% energy pull from the grid. This was good.

Another monitor gave a report on Mahoro's other vitals and there was a special camera to keep an eye on her. He looked at her smiling, hopeful face. This had to work, it just had to. Crossing his fingers, he nudged up the power flow. He didn't want to mention anything to Mahoro, but this trick was akin to opening a cat door on a dam. The resulting flood had the possibility of not being controllable, but numerous safeguards were in place to, hopefully, prevent a catastrophe.

Looking at the camera monitor, he saw Mahoro's hair standing up from the energy as the first of the power snaked through her. There was initially no change in her power readout, so he pushed up the power in 1/10th increments. The power continued to build as he was now drawing 33% from the grid and the energy cubes were at near capacity.

Click. Click. Click. The dial was turned gingerly, giving Hokaze a chance to stay on top of things. Slowly, the flow through Mahoro was increased until he heard a 'blip'. Looking over to the monitor, he saw a green power bar! Success! He HAD been able to give her more energy. He pushed away from the control board to look at all the power supplies.

The Energy Cubes were at 97% and 99% capacity, power drawn was at 50% and Mahoro had another three green bars. Should he push it up another tenth? His hand hovered over the dial. Things were going well, just a bit slow.

No. He pulled his hand back. It had already been five months, near endless working on cracking the energy problem; he could easily afford to let things take their course. What he really wanted to do was to practically refill her energy reserves, but he would take 30 days' worth. That would be nice. She comes in once a month and gets a boost for another month and that could go on forever. Things are held in balance. He closed his eyes and nodded happily.

He checked his power totals. Everything was where it should be, all within acceptable parameters. He counted Mahoro's green bars as they appeared on the screen. "16….17….18….19….20…21….21……21….20….!?" He held for a moment as a nauseating fear shot though him. He quickly scanned all the dials. All was OK for the moment.

He looked back at the monitor. "20….19…18…17….!" The numbers were retreating. He began to shut down the system, but nothing was responding. He turned all the dials to off, but the power kept surging through.

"16….15…14…13…12……" He hit the Emergency Shutdown, a massive red mushroom, designed for frantic pounding. Slamming hard at the oversized button, he saw the confirmation that all power had been turned off. But none of the power had been turned off! The drain continued.

"11…10…9…8…7…" He ran out there to try and manually shut down at the blocks, but the energy field was too intense. He tried to get at Mahoro, but the power being cast off was so immense, he was rebuffed, sent flying backwards as though he had been yanked on a rope, away from the table. As he slid towards his bunker, his head covering flew off. He smacked hard against the sandbags. Rolling over to get up, he winced in pain and saw that the left arm of his suit was scorched and smoldering from the heat given off by the field.

Scrambling into the bunker, he watched as the green bars disappeared. "2…1…zero!" He lowered his head; another abject failure. He looked up to see "Minus 1?! Minus 2??" Mahoro was losing energy! She was having ALL of her energy removed? Hokaze hit every button and knob that he could to cut the power. He smashed the Emergency Shutdown button so hard, it shattered and it cut through his suit, gashing his hand badly. Flinging off the gloves, blood pouring everywhere, he saw the energy being removed from her, now at a phenomenal rate, and he couldn't stop it. She shook the monitor.

"Stop! STOP! STOP, DAMMIT!" But the machines continued on, unmoved by his pleading. He looked at the monitor to see the light in her eyes go dim, a sign of her power shutdown. Within a few moments, the bars went to nothing. All of Mahoro's vital signs flat lined. Hokaze choked back his tears and his crying. Mahoro had ceased to function. She was dead and he did it!

As he looked to the monitor, he saw that Mahoro seemed to be caving in on herself. The system was still drawing whatever power it could from her body structure. She was turning cadaverous. Her hair became dust and her skin was losing its color. He had to stop the rest of the defilement before there was absolutely nothing left of her.

Grabbing a giant fireman's axe, he ran behind one of the energy blocks. He would have to hack through the massive cable. Raising the axe high, he slammed down upon it with all his might. An explosive bolt of energy burst from the cable, sending a tremendous surge of energy through him and the laboratory. Sparks and lightening strikes danced about the facility. Every nerve in his body detonated, as 100,000 volts tore him apart like he was rice paper.

The intensity and power locked up every muscle and it felt like his spine was breaking from the massive spasm. He could not let go and he could barely see as his clothing burst into flames and his blood was bubbling and turning to steam. He managed to cry out. "Noooooooooooo………………."

"…ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Leaping out of his bed, Hokaze ran frantically about the room, crashing into things and knocking stuff over, overwhelmed by panic and fear. He somehow managed to turn on the lights, shrieking the entire time as he wheeled about, "What have I done? I killed Mahoro! I killed…."

Gasping and panting, he looked at his hands. Although he was trembling like a cherry tree in the wind, there were no cuts, burns or blood on his hands. It slowly dawned on him that he was in his apartment. Was it all just a horrible, hideous dream? He wiped his brow to discover that he was dripping wet.

Going into the bathroom to look at himself, he saw that his pajamas were drenched, as if he had jumped into the ocean. He was so soaked, he was leaving puddles everywhere he stepped.

He peered back at his bed. Aside from it being torn apart, he could see a veritable pond of sweat from where he had laid. He put his hand on his chest to feel his heart still racing. He was afraid that it would leap out of his chest, it was going so fast. He put out his hand to steady himself, as his legs began to tremble, when he saw his hands were still shaking.

He stared at them, unable to stop the nervous tremors. He used the other hand to stop the first hand from shaking, but it only made things worse. Looking to the clock, it showed 3:17 AM. A shower, he thought to himself. I need a shower.

Peeling himself out of the saturated clothes, they hit the floor with a soggy plop, a small lake of sweat forming about them. He started the shower and sat on the floor, letting the water pour over him. His first task was to calm down. He still felt all jumpy and confused inside. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or throw up. He had not experienced a dream this disturbing in decades, when he had one of his mother and father being killed by a knife-wielding maniac. He had cried for days after that and couldn't sleep for the longest time.

But this one…a wave of nausea attacked him, but he just sat there, waiting for something to happen. Barf or don't barf, that was the choice. He looked up into the shower, the cooling waters running down his face. There was no way he was going back to sleep, not the way he felt. He might as well do some work.

Slowly standing up, he turned off the shower and toweled off. He threw on a pair of shorts and went to his study. The light went on and it showcased his latest attempt, but shook his head with a sense of failure. It was the Energy Oval of his dream.

He turned on his PC and sat down, going back through all the paperwork on this experiment. He knew that the dream was completely illogical. When you turn something off, it turns off. There would be no self-designated power override, where the machines decide what they are going to do on their own.

The plan of his was rather simple: it would be like rolling ink across an etched piece of metal. The ink would flow into those areas of depression and fill them up. Since the energy unit has, in effect, a depression of energy, the power should flow into the void and fill it up. Nature, after all, abhors a vacuum. So do cats.

But the real problem was making sure he was doing this correctly. He once mentioned to Don Vesper that it was like trying to fuel up a car without knowing where the gas tank access was. You couldn't hope to pour gas all over the car and assume that it would get sucked into the right location. You needed to know where to target it and how to target it.

His PC was up and running and he gained access to the Vesper mainframe computers. As he waited for it to cycle through procedures and protocols, he looked over to his paperweight, which happened to be an exact replica of Mahoro's power unit. Despite its energy output, it was not much bigger than a hardbound book.

He picked it up and stared at it, shaking his head 'no'. He knew exactly how to fix the problem, but he lacked the raw technology to do so. Calling upon the finest minds that he could get to, their brains were picked for the slightest grain of hope or a new direction to follow or a theory that was worth chasing after.

The actual answer was a snap: a self-energizing power loop. Based on breeder nuclear reactor technology, the theory was that the components created more energy from the supply given. The excess was put back in on itself, so you have a kind of perpetual power. However, execution of the theory was a feat in and of itself.

Hokaze also knew that you couldn't merely throw power at it. Akin to tossing batteries past a light bulb, the bulb cannot pull energy from the battery as it soars by. He even examined at the works of Nikola Tesla. Perhaps the addition of an extra unit into Mahoro to pull energy from the sky and keep her going, but the paperwork he had was still insufficient, as certain equations were missing and it didn't fully add up.

Also, Tesla Units were huge, cumbersome generators and that was completely inappropriate to what was needed by Mahoro. Of course, Tesla was doing this in the time of hand-wound capacitor mechanisms, needing miles and miles of copper wiring. The theory should be able to work in a compressed energy unit. But Mahoro herself added another wrinkle to the situation.

This was the major problem with reverse engineering: you did not fully understand how you got there, so by missing one or two key elements, it becomes impossible to comprehend how the whole unit operated with any certainty as to controlling it. He had heard tales that early versions of the warrior androids met with resounding failures. His arrival on the program was rather late, but he made up for lost time by absolutely pouring over the schematics and even watching how some of the parts were made, so he could fully understand

But he also had a sense of helplessness. So many of his plans and schemes had ended up in the same location: Failureville. Many of the ideas did not make it through the simulation stage. He knew the actual solution was simple, elegant and easy to execute, but he couldn't find it.

He once joked that he might have to install a power cord in her and just plug her in every night so she could recharge, much like an electric car. The fact that Vesper wanted him to pursue this angle showed that they were considering every idea with equal seriousness.

His real concern was that the problem would never be cracked. All of this work would be for naught. Hokaze shook his head, trying to dislodge the Surrender Thought. He did have another idea floating about, but nothing related directly to the energy problem: to accede to Mahoro's wishes and grant the breast augmentation, so she could spend her remaining days really happy.

He still could not understand Vesper's reticence in this area. A waste of money? There were a lot of things Vesper did that were a "waste of money" and, quite frankly, something as marginal as this augmentation would barely cost 100,000 yen. A set of tires for Commander Daimon's BMW cost that. He easily spent 10 times that amount on his last experiment alone and it was a failure.

He hated saying no to Mahoro on this, but he also felt odd about granting it. Not that he couldn't do the operation for her, but Mahoro was far better than anything a pair of boobies would give her. It wasn't a waste of money, but a misapplication. He had done a little research on this Saori Shikijo and understood her feelings in the matter, but he just could not make Mahoro understand that the big boobs weren't all that important in the larger scheme of things.

He sighed and laid his head on the desk, placing it on his upper arm and letting his hand drape over his head. He set up the power unit mock-up and stared at it. Perhaps it was the wrong kind of power he was using. Maybe it was not sheer electrical force but a kind of magnetic field to turn knobs and switches or open levers.

This went back to his simple and elegant approach to the problem. He closed his eyes to visual the interior of the unit. One component of it was the chronometer. Time and tide wait for no man, but if there was some way to do a temporal causality loop that would be great. But you would have to find a way to "fool" the internal clock.

It was like a clock he once saw in an office. The second hand would spin about while the hour and minute hands did not move at all, so it always read the same time. The clock operates, but it does not work. There was a way to send this caliber of instruction into the power unit, but he lacked the ability to communicate with the computer system or how to alter the preset language.

Stopping the clock would be the first move, but it still did nothing about the power. One theory went that if the loop worked, there would be no power loss, a kind of "Groundhog Day" effect. But Hokaze shook his head 'no'; an energy drain is an energy drain. He had to plug the leak, so to speak, and then refill the reservoir.

What he really needed was a kind of "go" command that would allow energy to be absorbed by the power unit. The way she was constructed, you couldn't just swap out units, like giant batteries; the whole system was part and parcel and to remove it from her was to kill her. That way was out, out, out.

She was, in effect, a NiCad battery. This approach he was currently trying was a sort of recharging unit. Not pass energy atop or over her, but fully through her. Still, it meant nothing if he couldn't "open the door", as it were, to allow energy to be drawn into her.

Microwaves? Too erratic. Infrared or ultraviolet? That only made heat. Lasers or light pulses? It was an idea. Perhaps as a highly focused beam of low-level energy. Plasma conversion? Too tricky. Ion technology? Now you're just getting silly, Hokaze.

The more he thought and visualized, the more deep and regular his breathing became. The monitor went into energy-saving mode, as no one was using it. He had fallen back asleep………..

Professor Hokaze stood upon the stage of the Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden, where he was being awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his revolutionary approach to energy usage and reconservation. The head of the committee spoke to the crowd.

"Rarely has one single action or event created such a profound effect on our lives. This simple and elegant solution means that we have enough power for everyone forever. Let me introduce to you the man behind it all, Japan's Minato Hokaze!"

The applause was deafening as Hokaze made his way to the podium. King Carl Gustav XVI personally gave the award to him and shook his hand in a very friendly manner. The acceptance speech Hokaze gave was very short. "I am humbled. Thank you all." More applause came forth as he was led into the wings.

Backstage, he was being congratulated by everyone. He accepted their thanks, but sighed.

"Is there a problem?" he was asked.

"Yes. I only wish she was here. She didn't make it." He looked wistful.

"Professor Hokaze…"

He turned about to look. "MAHORO! You made it! You got here!"

She smiled shyly. "How could I miss one of the most important days of your life? Besides, I was there for another of your most important days."

He went up to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a big hug. "You look marvelous. Let's get a real look at you."

She was wearing a black sheath dress that showcased magnificently her stunning figure. Mahoro looked at him. "Everything I have, I owe to you."

Hokaze showed her the Nobel Prize. "Everything I have, I owe to you."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 246 DAYS**

End Notes

I originally had gone back and forth about this "An Evening With….." series, as it gives a chance to find out more about the other people in Mahoro's life, but I didn't want it to come off hokey or a kind of cheap-out writing. After all, the Saori tale took a rather long time to write, as I just couldn't get the beats down that I wanted to help tell the tale.

This one, however, arrived almost full bore, ready and willing to go. I had to play catch up a lot of the time, as it just was relentless in its desire to BE written. When I had originally gotten to the end, he was just going to fall back asleep, but this last little idea popped up and told me this was the better way to end this tale.

Of all the characters in the Mahoro Universe, I find Professor Hokaze gives me the most latitude to tell tales. This marks (at the time of this writing) his third real story. (OK, he plays a big part in the very first chapter, "A New Life", but that is an omnibus story, where EVERYONE shows up), the other two being "A Thorough Exam" and "…the Truth is Out".

I find that Commander Daimon and Sub-Commander Gunji do not fully appeal to me. They are military men and, therefore, closet their feelings. You cannot let emotions get in the way of life-and-death decisions, nor can you let your feelings of friendship cloud those hard choices that must be made for the betterment of all.

Hokaze, being a professor/scientist and a bit outside of the military mindset loop, is a touch more free in how he can address problems and how he can address himself. I decided to give a kind of free rein to his emotions, giving him an empathy for Mahoro. This is certainly reflected in the choice of words he uses to describe Mahoro and how he deals with her.

It also allows me to examine deeper the augmentation requests from Mahoro. Personally, I would have gone ahead and done it, but I am trying to find a real reason for it. I always suspected it was a "waste of money" as she would be gone soon and there was no real reason for such a meaningless frillip. I notice that when Mahoro first asks Vesper in the August 1st letter, the only person not bothered by the request is Ms. Shiina.

I had to look about to find Hokaze's first name, as it is only really mentioned once, and in passing. As to the physics portion of all of this, I am just letting it slide. I am to physics as Icarus was to flight, so anything that I put down is suspect at best.

I mean, it sounds good, but as to any real practicality, well, someone with a Master's Degree…in Science! would be better than I.


	19. Chapter 19 The Maiden and Her Memories

"The Maiden and Her Memories"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

December 31st

Mahoro arose early. She looked over to the clock to confirm it was as early as she thought it was. She got up and went to the window to look out. Dawn was still a bit off but she could see a light dusting of snow and more was falling gently. However, it was not enough to stop anything from occurring for the day.

There was a kind of serenity, as the snowfall hid a lot from sight. Everything looked so pure, a blanket of whiteness that covered all. She saw the doghouse, snow coating the roof. Slash had no problems sleeping in the doghouse and he said he would keep Guri-chan warm, so they did not need to be in the house for the season. Still, she would check up to make certain that things were all right.

She tip-toed over to the door to gently shut and lock it, but the latching sounded like a girder falling down an elevator shaft to her. When she opened up the closet door, the squeaking could have raised the dead…on Hokkaido. She held her breath, but the house was quiet and still. Not a creature was stirring.

She retrieved a large box on the floor and brought it over to the bed. Removing the lid, she pulled out a thickish scrapbook, a shadow box and some random clippings, bulging out of a too-small folder. On the cover of the scrapbook, it said "For Suguru: One Magical Year".

Opening the book, the first page was a newspaper want ad clipping, with one ad in particular circled. It was the ad, placed by Suguru, asking for a maid. The next page was the article on the bus hijacking and subsequent crash. There was a photo of Suguru, looking most dazed.

Following that was the contract that Suguru had signed, giving the custody of the house to Mahoro. It had been on the refrigerator for a couple of months, but she was afraid that it would get grimy from all the cooking, so it was moved to this safer location. Next to that were both the letter of recommendation from Toteke-sensei and the diploma from Vesper Housekeeping Services.

She felt badly that she did not take pictures of the house from the very first day, but she did have some "before" and "after" shots of the rest of the rooms. She sighed. Looking back, it would have been nice to have a photo of the mountain of clothes that had exploded from the closet and nearly buried the both of them. At the time, however, she was of a different opinion on it.

Still, there were plenty of other photos, some of them very dramatic in how things changed. She even managed to get a few of the yard. That area was a real workout, as weeds had taken over almost everything and some proved quite stubborn in their removal.

Flipping the pages, the past six months came back to life.

There was the invoice for the water heater, which had exploded that night in July and she and Suguru were forced to the bath house. She snickered to herself, remembering how Shikijo tried to out-sauna her and lost badly.

There were the bus tickets they used to get to the gravesite the following day. She still felt terrible about the entire Commander Misato incident. If only she didn't have to do what she did on that awful day. But it was required to save Suguru and others. She sensed herself tearing up, but she quickly wiped it away.

She had Hamadi's picture from the beach with the Crab Robot in the background and the massive articles about the attack and invasion. That was a particularly terrifying time, as she knew she was going to be destroyed there. She was impressed with Suguru's bravery. She had seen it once before on the bus, then again with the Crab. What was it about him that causes him to doubt himself, she wondered.

The next page had all the materials and articles from the Cooking Shogun show: the original ad that Chizo had shown her and the two write-ups about the entire event. Amid all of that was a letter from Hattori Hanzo himself, again offering the possibility of a job at the Blade. Another page had the actual tuna recipe she had employed that day, plus some special photos that were also taken.

She rustled through the overflow pile, items that had not yet found their way into the book. There were numerous articles about what Hanzo had done for that particular episode, with a rather nice photo of Mahoro doing the knife pull. It showed her garter and a lot of thigh and was a rather popular shot, she was led to believe. She just didn't know where to put it in with everything else and she was seriously considering a second scrapbook for these related items.

Flipping to the back of the book, there was a DVD sleeve, which held a full copy of that show. Something this special was duplicated onto a gold-colored disk. Even in the subdued light, it looked magnificent.

Returning to the pages, there was the listing in the paper for that particular show, some of the ads promoting it and the ratings for the week. Her episode came in fifth for ratings, losing out to Ninja Warrior, but it was the top show for that particular night and it also buried its competition.

Looking over to the shadow box, there was the medallion that Hanzo had given to her. It was a big, heavy piece of work and she was still working on the display approach to the box. There were other items in the box for consideration: the three bullets that had been shot at her by the thief that day on the bus when she first met Suguru; a reproduction of her Wish Paper she hung up in July, as the original had blown away; a tiny fragment from the Crab Robot and some shreds of clothing.

Flipping back through the book, just past the photo Rin took of them all on the roof of the school during the Ghost Hunt in August, there was the article on the Ninja Panty Bandit. The articles of clothing were part of her shredded uniform and part of his shredded outfit. More articles included the mysterious rain of panties on downtown Hiryu and the ad about the four panties for 500 yen sale.

Then came the Dance of the Dead Festival materials. In the overflow pile was one of the posters for the event. She would have preferred to include the one that she first saw, but that was a bit weather beaten by the time she got back to it. This example she had was a stunningly crisp one for her archives, however. There were also a couple of additional articles and some pictures.

One photo was taken by the Councilman, of her posing in front of the stand and the other was her and the greengrocer, who beat on the drum for the performance. These photos were reprints and would be the ones that were placed in the Master Book that covered the history of the Dance of the Dead for the city. She also had a copy of the results of the voting that nominated her to lead the dance. She was still surprised how much she really out-pointed her nearest competitor.

Something that was snagged by one of her friends was the warning poster from the Festival, telling the booth operators to be on the lookout for both Shikijo AND her. She reddened at that one. The comments were not all that positive. What was it about Shikijo that made her get so angry and flustered? No one else had that effect on her.

Mahoro held for a moment. She knew what the next pages held. She didn't want to read them, but she had to take the good with the bad. She flipped the page.

It started with a pair of articles. The first was the capture of a pair of escaping thieves and how they almost ran over Chizo in the process. The second was about the unexplained fire at the Green Star Refined Sake building. There was a smaller article from the school newspaper about the arrival of Ryuga-sensei with a rather odd photo of him. Why did it always appear as though something he ate was disagreeing with him, she thought.

The series ended with a triad of articles. The first covered the massive blackout in the area and how the power plant was partially damaged. The second talked about extensive vandalism at the abandoned Hiryu Hospital and an investigation into the matter. The third talked about strange lights seen in the nighttime skies and could it be UFOs.

Mahoro shook her head. If only they knew half of what went on that fateful night.

Amid all that bad news were the bits from their day previous at the Yokohama amusement park: the tickets in, the receipt for that marvelous red dress she bought and numerous photos. The one she liked the best was the shot of Shikijo crawling on the ground to stop them from doing whatever illicit things she had imagined them doing. Mahoro laughed out loud, and then clasped her hands over her mouth, trying to stifle herself. She didn't want to wake anyone, but it was just such a funny scene, especially since one could see her Teddy Bear underpants. A woman her age, wearing that!

The next page had an item that caused her a great deal of emotional consternation, as it was the receipt for the Pi Deal Alpha machine. Thank goodness there were no photos of THAT! She rubbed her forehead in pained recollection. The humiliation was almost too much to bear, but no one ever spoke of it again. That was a relief. She shuddered as she recalled her dream and the….booby missiles. Where did that dream come from?

Turning the page quickly, she was greeted with the photo of her at the Aoshima Flats, where she had eaten the Speciality Royal King and beat Shikijo for the top slot by doing it in the fastest time. There was also a receipt from the pachinko parlor where she and Shikijo had a kind of girl's night out the next evening, as well as a tiny slip of paper she didn't fully understand, labeled as "recyclable materials".

It ended up in her clothing and it had to have come from that night at Shikijo's, but what it really meant and how it got there was of a real concern. She just did not know. She made a mental note to herself. No more drinking, especially with Shikijo about.

Halloween was next on the schedule and the articles about that festival and the mysterious performance between a female warrior and a battle robot were there. At least the photos that were taken of it were a bit on the blurry side, so no one really realized it was her, not did they understand that what she destroyed was a real robot, sent, probably, by Management, as a test of her abilities.

There were the copies of the paperwork to get Minawa into the school and an article from the school paper about how there was an incident of the PE fields that ended with Shikijo getting conked in the head with a falling light standard. That was an odd evening, as EVERYONE at the dinner table had a bandage on their head. She decided that it would have to be an extreme circumstance to get her into camouflage again.

After that tale came the receipt for the enhancements. She sighed. It would have been wonderful if they could have been real. She found that the 91C example gave her the best feel, but the Moose certainly had it advantages and disadvantages. It did come in useful with that fight against another Management robot. It never knew what hit him, although the personal mortification still gnawed at her.

Mahoro looked about cautiously. Even though she knew no one was in the room, she wanted to be certain of it. Going into the overflow pile, she found an oversized envelope. Opening it, she pulled out a series of pictures of her wearing each of the six augmentation devices. The Moose was absolutely ridiculous, but she felt she looked more like a real woman. She certainly felt more like a real woman with the devices on. If only, if only…

She recalled what Professor Hokaze had said to her back in September, but she was thinking of sending another request for the enhancement. Perhaps after the New Year celebrations would be a good time for it, as everyone would be in a better frame of mind.

There were the two absolutely delicious items that she had gotten from Shikijo herself. It revolved around the bomb scare at the school, which turned out to be not a bomb but a time capsule that Shikijo had buried years ago and was desperately looking for it, as there were to be school renovations. In all the confusion, when the capsule spilled its contents, she managed to snag a picture and one of Shikijo's love poems.

The picture was of her being very flirty in her school uniform. Mahoro shook her head. Shikijo had not changed all that much in a decade. Then she really looked at the picture. Shikijo was blossoming, even then: blouse slightly too tight, skirt slightly too high. The poem was a bit on the corny side, but she certainly recognized a lot of the comments, as Shikijo had spoken them to Suguru.

Mahoro knew she should really return the two items, but she had no real evidence of that particular time and digging for the bomb. Wait! Scrabbling through the overflow pile, she came up with a picture of herself in disguise at the cultural festival. She thought it was a great one, but Suguru told her that EVERYONE knew it was her. The picture was placed with the other two items. She reminded herself that there were more photos taken of them and she would have to speak to Hamadi to get them.

The next page only had the article about the exploding mailbox at the market, but there were so many other papers in the overflow pile. They were still in the process of being gathered and collated, but it was the arrival of Minawa and with just so much occurring in December, she did not have the time to put it all together properly.

There were two additional articles: one discussed the explosions on top of an office block and the other spoke about "airplane parts" falling from the sky. No one was injured, but an official complaint was filed with the National Flight Board about carelessness over an urban center by the airlines.

That was a surprising day, as she did not expect things to get so out of hand with all that combat and the arrival of Minawa. She recalled lying with her in the boat in the middle of the lake. She had never seen a person so emotionally damaged, so spiritually fragile. She always felt that both she and Suguru made the right decision to take her in and help her recover, even though both Slash and Ryuga felt otherwise.

In the shadow box was her damaged shoe from that day. It had taken a great deal of abuse, but it was a reminder for her about giving back. That was the whole reason she had taken this position: to give back. And the walk from the lake gave her time to reflect upon that. And it led into the holiday season as well.

Looking through the overflow pile, she found the photos and receipts from Christmas: her trips to both the US to the Henderson Farm in Kentucky and the Tree Farm in the Karlnar Region of Finland. There were photos taken of her with Mr. Henderson and his family, and one with tree expert Hanna Kekkonen. Both were very helpful in understanding what to look for in selecting the perfect turkey or the perfect tree. The Sylpheed certainly got a workout that day.

Then, there were the rest of the photos, including the dinner and the house decorations. The wreath Minawa made was enormous and it would be taken down later today, but she had a picture of it. She could have easily driven her motorcycle through it.

She snickered to herself. That would be a holiday treat: leaping over the neighborhood and passing right through the wreath, like some festive daredevil in her reindeer outfit.

She started to organize those shots and the overflow pile was greatly reduced. She looked at one picture, of her in the scarf that Suguru had knitted especially for her. The scarf would eventually have to go into the shadow box, as….

Another tear fell from her. She did not want to think about that, but it was inevitable. She did not have that much time remaining and there was still so much that needed to be done.

At the bottom of the overflow pile was a manila envelope. She withdrew the contents, which was a multi-page letter, plus numerous drafts, as she attempted to come up with the best wording. She began to read it.

"My dearest Suguru,

"If you are reading this letter, it is under one of two circumstances: you are looking for your ecchi, which is safely away from you or, I have ceased to function.

"If it is the former, there is nothing you can do about that; if it is the latter, there is something you can do about that.

"This scrapbook is a reminder of that wonderful time we had together. All the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations and the happy times we spent with your friends.

I do not want you to be sad that I am no longer here with you………"

Mahoro held. This was always the hardest part of the letter to write. She had a difficult time finding the right words to say. She riffled through previous attempts, but nothing seemed to really click. Many ideas had been attempted, a lot of them destroyed. She kept only those that offered the correct direction.

How could she comfort Suguru when she was not there? These words would have to carry him, not only through the time immediately afterwards, but for many years to come, especially in those moments of his deepest despair.

The other hard part was her confession, explaining all that she knew about Commander Misato Would Suguru decide that she was really a horrible person and not want to have anything to do with her? How could she explain that it was on his direct orders to do that and it was done with great reluctance? Despite her being an android, she sustained damage as well. She had kept the peace and won the battle, but at what real cost?

She looked over to the clock. Not that much time had passed. Stuffing the paperwork back into the manila envelope, she stood up and went back over to the window to gaze out. The snow was still falling, just as light as before, but there was slightly more on the ground. It would be a nice day for playing about and preparing for the New Year. A new year filled with hope and opportunity, the promise of…

Mahoro looked away as a thought came to her. She could feel the words welling up inside of her, the proper words that needed to be said. Heading back to the envelope, she pulled out the pad of paper and began to write anew. Filled with fervor as the words poured through her, she quickly scribbled down everything.

She was crying, but more out of finding what was needed to be said in the way it needed to be said, and not out of unhappiness or despair. A half-hour later, she stopped writing and looked at what she had done.

"My dearest Suguru,

"Do not be unhappy. Although my passing has created a void in your life, and for this I am deeply sorry, you hold in your hands something just as precious: memories. Memories of us.

"The time I spent with you was the happiest that I had experienced. My hope is that it was just as happy for you, and with all your wonderful friends, even Shikijo-sensei.

"All of these items are for you. Do not look upon them and see sorrow; view them for the elation that they bring, for that what they brought to me.

"As long as you remember me and talk about me, I'm never really gone, just temporarily away.

"Love, Mahoro.

"P.S., You will find your ecchi stash in the hidden area beneath the closet in the Master Bedroom. I never could bring myself to discard it all."

Her eyes brimming with tears, she placed the pad and the paperwork back into the manila envelope, organized the paperwork and the shadow box, placed it all back into the larger box and settled it back into the closet. She would do a more formal write up of the letter later on, but she said what she wanted to say. Perhaps it would be better to keep the information regarding Commander Misato for another letter. THIS one would be the first Suguru would read, to help him feel better about things.

Looking over to the clock, it was almost time to get up and get the house going for the day. She went back to the window and looked out one last time. The snow was falling a bit heavier, but not a full snowstorm and the sun was starting to rise, casting everything is a pleasing glow.

She took in a deep breath, held it for a moment and let it out slowly. This was going to be a good day and she was going to live for today. There was still time, so she would make the best of it.

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 200 DAYS**

End Notes

When the anime first ran on TV, they had a kind of clip/recap show. It is sometimes referred to as show "Season One, Episode 10.5". Keeping this in mind, I decided to have a "recap" episode of my own, especially at this most poignant of time junctions.

Now, I have decided to stick (more or less) with the anime over the manga, so the Shirakiku Academy tale has been suppressed. Although I did consider writing some fanfic about it, it would be just too confusing to comment about her looking for bombs in both schools.

I have also decided to stay within the nexus of my "reality" for Mahoro. I did have a thought to incorporate other fanfic stories, but decided against it, as this is really my take on things.

It would be different if we had a kind of committee to examine Mahoro's last 10 months to create a Day of Days calendar where practically EVERYTHING she did was accounted for. Then we could pick and choose what "happened" to her, establishing a canon or accountability from which things could be referenced.

Well, that is far more trouble than it is worth and, knowing writers, no one ever wants to sacrifice what they have done.

Now, I have added elements from both the anime and the manga (which explains the Ninja Panty Bandit reference), but I have decided to keep with the manga timeline, where the Pi Deal Alpha comes first (October 18th), long before the arrival of Minawa (December 8th).

But, as you can see, I chose the anime arrival of Minawa over the manga arrival. A lot of people may still not have read the manga and if you go to some of those manga on line sites, they do not take you particularly far into the series (petering out at Book Three or Four, depending on which site you reference.)

Now, here's the fun thing for me: I could potentially turn this into a "Further Day" for me, as I have stopped early enough for it. But that is for another time.

The reference to the motorcycle. There is a model of her astride a rather powerful looking motorcycle and I have seen pictures of her with it, but I have never seen her using it in the series. I have been figuring out how to work that in, but nothing substantial has come of it to date.


	20. Chapter 20, Dressed For Success

"Dressed For Success"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

January 9th

As Mahoro was doing the wash this winter's morning, she noticed that Suguru's clothes were wearing out. Areas were getting threadbare and could cause potential embarrassment, should there be a failure of the garment, especially with his pants.

Minawa withdrew the clothes from the washer and held up one pair of his pants, staring at them. "Big Sister, I don't remember Suguru having a pair of shorts like this."

Mahoro looked over to Minawa, and then reached into the washer to pull out the tattered legs of that particular pair of pants. "I guess the dirt was holding it all together," commented Mahoro, a bit shocked as to this turn of events.

Suguru came downstairs and into the laundry area, eating an apple. "I don't seem to have many pants left. Well, none that I could find, anyway."

Mahoro turned to see that the pants Suguru was wearing weren't quite fitting right. "Those don't seem to look all that comfortable on you."

"Naah, it's fine," said Suguru. "Watch." He began to walk about, as if there were no problems. "They feel just great." He stopped and bent over to pick up an imaginary something. A loud report was heard and Suguru bolted upright, clutching his seat and his face reddening. Minawa just stared on, equally stunned

"Is something wrong?" she asked, as Suguru began to slide away.

"NO! No, nothing at all! I think I forgot to get something!" He tried to leave, but Mahoro came up to him. He backed into the door jam.

"Suguru, I need you to turn around," she asked firmly, rotating her finger.

"Why? There's no reason for that! I'm just going to go up to my room and get ready for the start of school in two days! I'll just be a moment!" As he left, a part of his pants rip caught on the striker plate of the door and a more forceful tear was heard. Suguru was mortified, as now Mahoro and Minawa could see his underwear. He thought his head was going to explode from the embarrassment.

Mahoro unhooked him from the plate. "Go upstairs and get on another pair of pants. We may have to go shopping for you. And with the start of the new semester at school, this could be a great time to upgrade everything." Suguru ran away with blinding speed. Mahoro though it odd that, when under pressure, his speed output was phenomenal. Mahoro turned to Minawa. "I think in a situation like this, we both should go and help him shop."

"Yes, that would be nice," said Minawa, as she put the tattered pants back into the washer. With a slightly better pair of pants secured for Suguru, they all headed to the local department store.

Suguru felt nervous. He wasn't a big fan of clothes shopping as it was, but to have both Minawa and Mahoro accompany him bordered on sheer panic. "Uh, Mahoro, do you think this is really necessary? I mean, I have lots and lots of pants. Perhaps this can wait for another day."

"You may have lots and lots of pants, but you have lots and lots of pants that are ready to give out. I am now afraid to wash any more of them, as they may all come out in fragments. The best thing to do is to invest in a new wardrobe and not have you…uh…get embarrassed if you bend over."

Suguru reddened up again. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Minawa took a look at Suguru's seat, uncertain if it might happen as they walked downtown.

Harito's Department Store was a goodly-sized shop. Not too small so there was a limited selection, but not so big that you needed GPS, should you get lost in the cavernous areas. Since there was a sale going on, the store was packed with bargain hunters. Also, with some after-Christmas returns still occurring, it was a bit crazed.

Mahoro and Suguru wended their way to the second floor, to Young Men's clothing, while Minawa lagged behind, staring at everything around her. Many mothers were there as well, unwilling child in tow, with all the kids complaining loudly that they had enough clothes and didn't need any more.

"Uh, Mahoro, maybe we really should come back later. I mean it's really crowded and we may have to wait a long time to get into the changing booths and…." A crash was heard. They both turned about to see that Minawa had caught the tip of her shoe on the top of the escalator and slid across the floor, ending up in the Super Discount Bin. They untangled her from a variety of clothing.

"I'm sorry. It's just so crowded in here," apologized Minawa.

"That's OK, there is nothing to…." Suguru stopped. One of the items he removed from Minawa's head was a bra. He stared at it. It felt so soft, yet firm. The tag was still attached to it, showing a very voluptuous woman wearing her undergarments, or what little of the undergarments she had on. He wanted to put it back, but his hands wouldn't let him. He had locked up. He couldn't move at all.

He then found himself being dragged along by Mahoro, who spoke on. "I am sure we can find something for your growing needs, Suguru."

"Yes, glowing knees," he mumbled, the bra finally tumbling from his hands.

In the Young Men's area, there were walls and walls of pants. Suguru looked up and it might as well have been Fujiyama, at it went on forever. Mahoro started to pull out several pairs of pants, piling them up on Minawa.

"We will try some basic black, plus some other colors and styles for the weekend, when we don't need uniforms. We will need at least five pairs for the school week, plus another two or three for the weekends." Mahoro selected the pants with no error, as she knew what the sizes were. She turned to Minawa, who was starting to sag under the weight.

"We may need to fine-tune the sizes, as they can be cut just enough off, so even though we have two identical sizes, they can easily fit differently." She then turned to Suguru and presented him with the pants to try on. He blanched.

"I…I think I am getting light-headed, Mahoro. So…so I'm just going to step outside and get some air, OK, and…" He turned to leave and ran directly into a pair of breasts. But these were not any ordinary breasts.

"Why…Misato-kun," a lovely voice purred out to him. "How nice to run into you here."

Mahoro looked up to see Shikijo standing there, while Suguru was seemingly trapped in her cleavage. Mahoro rescued him, glowering at Shikijo. "What are you doing here, sensei? It's not like you have any children."

"Well, I shop here as well, but, on the contrary, I have lots of children. I think of ALL my students as my children, and I want to make certain that they get the proper school attire. Of course, any after-school clothing they wish for is something else." Shikijo looked Suguru up and down, examining everything. "Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. Hmm. It appears that you are in need of pants."

"Shikijo-sensei!" Suguru panicked and blushed, as he hid behind a shirt rack. Mahoro's hair horns started flapping at the brazenness of Shikijo. It was bad enough as to what happened over the New Year's celebration, but this! Was there no safe haven from the machination of this….hussy?

Shikijo went around the rack and found Suguru. "You need to get the proper caliber of pants. As a growing boy, you need to have room to grow and these pants just won't do. First, I can barely get my thumbs between the pants and you." She grasped him by the hips and forced her thumbs in right at the waist. Suguru reddened.

"See? These are much, much too tight. And look at your seat." She placed a hand on one of his cheeks. "There is just no room for you to bend over. You could easily have a major catastrophe, should you have to pick up an errant pencil."

Mahoro came over and yanked Suguru away. "I am shocked that an adult and a teacher would act that way!"

Shikijo smiled and came over to Mahoro. "Take a look around you."

Mahoro looked to see parents were looking for waist gap and seat room and pant leg length. One parent was checking the pant rise on her offspring, much to the total chagrin of that child.

"I'm not doing anything different than any other person here," offered Shikijo.

"But….Suguru is MY responsibility, not yours!" sputtered Mahoro.

"In a sense, he IS my responsibility, and, as such, it is MY responsibility to make certain he is dressed properly at all times." Shikijo hooked an arm under his, and then scampered off into the crowds, cackling.

Mahoro was shocked by the turn of events and gave pursuit. "Minawa, please come with me!" she called back. Minawa followed, as pants fell away from her pile, leaving a trail of slacks for anyone to follow. Mahoro was surprised as to how fast Shikijo could run when she put her mind to it.

Shikijo took a left turn into Women's Clothing and both she and Suguru hid amid a rack of bras. "She would never to think to look for us in here," she snickered. She parted the garments to see Mahoro getting her bearings. Peering intently, looking all about, her hair horns going up and down, she thought for a moment before she headed on. Minawa trailed behind; losing another pair of the pants she was holding. "I knew I could outfox those two, but that Mahoro is crafty. We had better wait for a bit, eh, Suguru-kun?"

As Shikijo made certain they were gone, Suguru was losing it. He was in a veritable forest of ladies undergarments; and not just any undergarment, but bras. Wonderful, glorious bras. Some of them were so thin and wispy, it was like there was nothing there at all. Others were padded to the point that they could stand proudly on their own.

And the colors! Not just flesh tone, but Midnight Black, Pristine White, Sky Blue, Sea Green, Brazen Bronze, Cutie Pink, Embolden Red. His eyes began to flutter; it felt that he might pass out, as his mind was awash with ideas as to what these bras were going to support.

And the tags! Each garment had its very own color picture of a woman, wearing that bra. Could such a delicate garment even hope to constrain that burgeoning womanhood? Even elastic has a breaking point, and so did Suguru. He tried to speak, but only squeaking sounds came out, so high-pitched that bats would be the only ones to respond to him. As he leaned back to get some air into him, a bra fell onto his face. As he removed it, he saw the back of the tag, with its size. 101DD.

He mouthed out the size. 101DD. 101DD. 101DD. His eyes widened.

"ARGHRGHRGH!" Bursting from the rack, numerous garments hanging from him, Suguru began to scramble about the store in a blind frenzy. Chasing out after him was Shikijo, trying to catch him.

The commotion caught the attention of Mahoro, who also gave pursuit. Minawa tried to follow. She was holding empty space as to where the pants she had been given were, but now were lying on the floor. Ducking and weaving, Suguru was able to avoid running into people, as he slowly lost the nettlesome bras one by one.

Finding a stairwell, he went down to the basement area. Shikijo followed afterwards, but Mahoro was blocked by a phalanx of people coming upstairs.

Suguru managed to get himself on an exercise treadmill and ran as hard as he could, but went nowhere. Shikijo went right past him, not really noticing him on the equipment, and headed towards the tool corral.

At the treadmill, a prospective buyer and a salesperson watched Suguru. The salesman spoke. "As you can see with this model, it gives not only relative speed on the display, but also calories burned. And you can change the angle of it, so you are in an uphill slope, making for a better workout." He pushed a few buttons on it so the display came up nice and large. The customer nodded.

When Suguru realized where he was, he stopped and shot off the back of the machine, crashing into someone. He felt the warm embrace of Mahoro about him. "You are free from the clutches of that harridan, Suguru. Come with me and we can get you the clothing you need. In safety."

Sighing contently, he stood up. As Mahoro let him go, he turned back around to see Shikijo standing, beckoning him on with a seductive look. "I know all there is to know of clothing." She ran forward, scooping him up and eluded the grasp of Mahoro, who turned about and was hot on Shikijo's heels.

Their actions did not go unnoticed by security. In the Command Center for the store, a guard was watching this with interest on the monitors. "Miki-sama, could you come over here, please?" he called out to the other man in the room. Mr. Miki walked up to him.

"What is it?"

The guard tapped one of the screens, showing Suguru, Shikijo and Mahoro passing by in rapid succession. "They have just been acting oddly. I think they are trying to create a diversion. I mean, look at how obvious they are."

Mr. Miki watched for a few moments as they went through the store, popping up on different surveillance cameras. Rubbing his chin, he spoke into his two-way radio. "Panda One, Panda One."

The two-way crackled. "Panda One here."

"We have a trio of runners headed in your direction and…" Before Miki could finish, they all roared past Panda One, who immediately joined the hunt. Shikijo tried to stay ahead of Mahoro, but Suguru was just too heavy. She turned left, then right, and went into furniture.

Finding an armoire, she quickly stuffed a rather dazed Suguru in there and fled on. "If I can lead her on a merry goose chase, I can get back to Suguru." She slowed down enough to let Mahoro see her, and then sprinted away.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Mahoro was determined to put an end to all this. As she tracked Shikijo, she noticed Suguru was not with her. "She has something else planned," she reasoned and Mahoro broke off the chase.

Back in furniture, Suguru got out of the armoire and began to stumble about. Minawa saw him and followed him at a distance.

Mahoro stood in jewelry and thought. I have to figure out where Suguru might go next, since Shikijo-sensei has some other thoughts in mind. Where could she have stashed Suguru? So lost in her musings, she did not see Suguru get off the escalator. Minawa came down moments later, but lost him.

Mahoro moved on as Minawa wandered around the bottom of the escalator, looking around. Panda One charged by her, hot after Mahoro. Trying to get out of his way, Minawa crashed into a store manikin, which toppled over into another manikin, which toppled over into another manikin. Panda One turned about to see Minawa all tangled up.

Suguru got back on the up escalator. Mahoro did the same, but wasn't looking for Suguru, deep in her plotting. On the next floor, Suguru went to the left, and Mahoro went to the right, circling around to the down escalator on the other side. As she got there, she ran into Shikijo. They stared at one another, a bit irked and perplexed, but not finding Suguru.

"What did you do with Suguru?" they accused each other at the same time. "What did I do with him?" they said in unison. As they glared at one another, Suguru staggered into view, some garments still hanging from them. When he saw the two of them, he panicked and turned about, heading right into the Glass and Crystal section.

Mahoro and Shikijo gasped, but dare not follow Suguru in. All about were exquisite Baccarat and Waterford leaded cut crystal vases and stemware, Noritake and Lenox dishes, even some Faberge items. Both of them saw vision of yen signs dancing about their heads, as the level of destruction that could be wrought would keep them in debt until the next millennia.

Shikijo put her hands over her eyes as Mahoro winced at the action of Suguru fleeing, full tilt, throughout the area. The bras caressed the candlesticks and the gravy boats, but never snagged on a single item. A hanger did hook onto an enormous decanter, but was merely left behind as Suguru passed it by, as though this was its stop on this manic marathon.

Leaving the breakables untouched and undamaged, Suguru charged past the two of them and clattered towards the down the escalator. Holding for a moment, they turned and gave chase. At the bottom of the escalator, Suguru went to his right, Shikijo to the left and Mahoro to the right.

This is great, thought Shikijo to herself, as I can stop him for certain. As Suguru turned the corner, he stopped for a moment to gather his wind and his wits. Shikijo saw him standing there, then launched into a flying tackle and brought Suguru down. However, Mahoro saw him and had the same idea. They all crash-landed onto a very large display bed. The extra fluffy down comforter swallowed them up and stopped the running. But the bed itself groaned and crashed downwards.

Shikijo began to disentangle herself. "Why, Misato-kun! If I knew this was all I had to do to stop you, I would have easily done this long ago." She looked at him as she flung off the last few bras that still clung to him. Then, the bedding was pulled away and both of them looked up at a very upset Mahoro, part of the bedspread hanging on her shoulder.

"You are coming with me!" she said, making a sour face and pointing a finger at them. Mahoro then felt a strong hand on her shoulder.

"No, you are all coming with ME!" They turned to see Panda One, with a face twice as sour as Mahoro's. "And this one, too!" he grumped, as he held Minawa by an arm. She was still tangled up in clothing and accessories from the tumbling manikins.

"Big Sister, I'm sorry." said Minawa. Shikijo sighed.

In the security office, they all sat in silence, Mahoro and Shikijo exchanging angry glances.

"How mortifying," said Shikijo.

"How embarrassing," said Suguru

"How demeaning," said Mahoro.

"And we still did not get any pants for Suguru," said Minawa.

Panda One came in and sat at the desk. "Perhaps someone can tell me what this is all about?"

Shikijo and Mahoro stood upright and began to talk at the same time, pointing fingers at one another, trying to be faster and louder than the other. Then, they stopped talking to the guard and turned on each other in an argumentative frenzy, the words flowing so fast, it was just noise. When they stopped to take a breath, Panda One stood up.

"Thank you and sit down! Now can someone tell me what is going on here?"

Suguru stood up. "I think I can explain this." He bent over and an embarrassing tearing sound could be heard in the office. Suguru slowly stood back up. "I need pants."

Panda One said nothing, and then picked up a phone. "I need four security guards in my office now." Moments later, a line of people left the office. Panda One led, followed by Suguru, a security guard, Mahoro, another security guard, Shikijo, another security guard, Minawa and another security guard. Panda One led them right to the Young Men's area.

"Get the pants NOW!" ordered Panda One, pointing towards the wall.

Mahoro and Shikijo quickly selected a variety of pants, but they glared at one another the entire time. Going to the largest changing room, all nine of them crowded in as Suguru selected eight pairs of pants. No one said a word, but both Mahoro and Shikijo made certain that they fit right. Panda One kept his stony face and stony silence.

With the pants now ready, the unwanted ones were places in the return hamper. The parade went up to the cashier, where they were rung up, paid for, bagged and given to them. Suguru was given a bag with two pants in it; Mahoro was given a bag with two pants in it; Shikijo was given a bag with two pants in it; and Minawa was given a bag with two pants in it.

They were trooped out of the store, in the same formation. Once outside, Panda One spoke to them. "I never want to see in there again what I saw in there today. Am I clear on this?" He glared at each of them, pointing a sausage-like finger at them.

"Yes, sir!" said Suguru.

"Yes, sir," replied Mahoro.

"It won't happen again," muttered Shikijo.

"I'm sorry," whispered Minawa.

"Good!" Panda One returned inside, his troops following him. Everyone let out a collect sigh as some random people stared at them.

"Well, I have other shopping to do, but I'll be back over for dinner tonight," said Shikijo. "And I'll bring these over at that time." Before anyone could react, she headed off into the crowded streets, taking her bag with her, chortling as she disappeared into the throng.

Suguru sagged. "Somehow, the start of school doesn't seem all that bad."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 191 DAYS**

End Notes

Many may feel that looking at the day-to-day stuff is rather mundane, but if you think about it, much of these "mundane" activities have branched off into something more exciting, such as the Crab Robot episode or the shadowing of Minawa at school.

I mean, you can't ALWAYS be fighting robots or eluding androids or duking it out with Ninja panty bandits. Much of the grounding for the manga/anime comes from the ordinary being intruded upon. You may be able to relate better to a teacher that has the hots for you as opposed to some crazed maniac on the bus with a gun. (And have you noticed how many crazed criminals happen to occupy this city? I mean, one in June, another in August. I have lived in my town for over 20 years and have yet to hear about ONE bus jacking or a high-speed pursuit within the city limits.)

Shopping for clothes is bad enough as it is; I just wanted to make it worse than normal. My store layout is a combination of a local Sears and Macy's. The bra portion comes from a real incident.

I was at a factory store, where the wife was getting some new bras. I am standing at a Wonderbra rack and I see a tag that read 36D. Wait, if you are that size, why do you need a Wonderbra? Still, they all had these tags that were just incredible to stare at.

Those that know the anime will ask why I put this in here. I mean, Season Two, Chapter Six is the New Year's celebration, taking ten days and culminating with the bonfire. Well, you can't hang around with all these people ALL the time; other things need to be attended to. Besides, with the start of the Spring School Season, you have to take care of those preparations. This was just a good time to place it.


	21. Chapter 21, The Best Laid Plans

"The Best Laid Plans"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

March 11th

The Shogi and Go Club was usually a hive of activity, as students learned the intricacies of both styles of games. The motto there was "A second to learn, a lifetime to understand." They had guest speakers come in to talk about the games, people who had been playing them for 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, and, just now, were starting to understand how it operated. Today, however, today all was silence.

Suguru sat at a desk, staring at an ad in the paper and sighing endlessly. On the other side of the desk, Hamadi also stared and sighed. Kawahara stood above Suguru, arms crossed, shaking his head ruefully. A few other boys knotted about the desk in happy quietude.

The object of desire was a full-page ad for Basho Books. They were going to be having a book signing on the upcoming Saturday, but it was no ordinary author. Riho Asaoka was going to be autographing copies of her newest book, "A Lifetime in Photos", a massive tome of many of her best pictures.

"Riho. Riho, Riho, Riho, Riho, Riho," mumbled Suguru.

A hand clasped him on the shoulder. "Give it up. You'll never make it. You won't get 25 meters from the house," offered Kawahara.

"But…but this is the meeting of a lifetime. It may, nay, it never WILL happen again!" whined Hamadi. There were mumbling consents about the table. "To let an opportunity of this magnitude just slide away would be like arriving 10 minutes late for the start of the universe!"

"Perhaps Mahoro isn't the most up-to-date person there is, but you are not going to pull off your scam and make it work. She will see through it like a cloudless day. 20 meters. Not even 20 meters." Kawahara spread his arms wide, and then shrunk the distance.

"I'll figure out something," puzzled Suguru. "Mahoro is good, but not that good."

"Excuse me," injected Kawahara. "Not that good? Isn't this the same person who chased you to Hokkaido? 900 kilometers? OK, maybe you didn't get ALL the way to Hokkaido, but you got chased out of town. 15 meters for you, tops!" Suguru looked at Kawahara with an irked expression.

Kawahara sat down. "This is why it cannot work and I will enumerate, in graphic, livid detail." He counted off on his fingers. "First, you have to get out of the house; second, you have to get to the book store; third, you have to get the autograph; fourth, you have to get back into the house and fifth, you have to get the treasure hidden. You might as well throw a pork chop past a hungry wolf! 10 meters. That will barely get you to the street!"

Kawahara went to a Shogi board and began to walk his fingers across it, one finger per square, counting out as he moved. "One, two, three, four, five, six, se…ARGHRGH! ARGGHRGH! Mahoro has wrestled you to the ground! She is standing over your prone body, foot on your back, arms raised in victory, loudly proclaiming, 'Dirty thoughts are bad!' You lay there in utter humiliation.

"Then, she drags you back into the house. You dig your hands into the lawn, to prevent this from happening, but it is to no avail, as deep furrows in the ground show the futility of your plan and your resistance to your arrest!" Kawahara pulled his hand back across the board, kicking his "legs" to emphasize the potential humiliation. "Help me! Help me! Finally, she will get mad as you now have grass stains all over your clothes."

Suguru smiled, stood up and went over to two boys playing Shogi at a nearby desk. "Sometimes, you may need to make a sacrifice to fool your opponent into an alternate way of thinking." He placed a tile on the board and the opponent had to look at things in a different manner. "Now, was I foolish in making that move or is it part of a bigger plan?" Suguru returned to the paper.

"Mahoro is a real homebody, so all I need is a plausible explanation as to why I will be out of the house for such an extended period of time. Perhaps, being with my friends, as you show me your latest video game, Kawahara, right?"

Kawahara mused. "Right, right." He nodded his head as the plan began to unfold.

"Your part in all of this is a judicious call, placed Friday evening, explaining this, and it all falls into place," said Suguru, in a satisfied tone. "She will be none the wiser."

Hamadi tapped the paper. "8000 yen for the book, but you get a free autograph with it. She will sign additional items for 4500 yen, like other approved books, pictures and DVD covers. Gentlemen, we cannot stand idly by and let a defining moment in our lives pass us by, like an errant bus!" He stood up and began to orate.

"If we don't do something, we are going to regret this. We will regret it today and every day for the rest of our lives. We must organize and be resolute in our determination. Nothing can deter us from the end goal. As long as we are unified in our action and stout in both body and spirit, there is no way of…"Hamadi stopped, as he realized that he had backed into someone. He turned about to find himself looking into the steely gray eyes of Mr. Ryuga. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Hamadi freaked out and ran towards the paper to hurriedly close it and fold it up as small as he could.

My Ryuga came close and held out his hand. "Please?" Hamadi reluctantly put the paper in his hand and Ryuga began to unfold it. As he opened it, his eyes were riveted. "Riho Asaoka is coming to town? A new book of hers?" He then looked up at the boys, and then closed the paper.

"As you know, dirty thoughts are bad, but…" He opened up the paper and looked at the ad again. "If you will go look at this ad elsewhere, we'll call it even." He handed the paper back to a drenched Hamadi and left the room. Hamadi collapsed in a heap, wheezing heavily, wiping his brow with the newspaper.

"You know, he did return to me the book of Riho's that he confiscated from the rooftop that day," said Suguru.

"Only to have Mahoro confiscate it back. You told us this very sad story, indeed," Hamadi sat upright.

"OK, let's be logical about this," said Kawahara, as he pulled up a chair and got Suguru's attention by sitting right in front of him. "Let us say for a moment that you are somehow able to get out of the house that day for the amount of time it will take to get the deed done. Do you have 8000 yen about? I mean, this is some serious coinage we are discussing."

Suguru nodded. "I do, I really do. I have been saving up for some time, not for this, but when an opportunity arises…"

"Where can you hide it, once you get it? Have you thought of that? This is a lot of time and money and effort invested, only to have it….CONFISCATED!" Kawahara pointed a finger right at Suguru's nose. Kawahara motioned to Hamadi. "Help me out on this."

"Yes, Riho is so beautiful." They both turned to see Hamadi, gazing with loving rapture at the ad, lost amid his own thoughts. Kawahara sighed in exasperation.

Suguru smiled slyly. "There are places she hasn't even begun to figure out. At the most, only about 20% of the total treasures have been uncovered. And she has never found the Core Treasures. I can make this work. And speaking of which, I need to get home to put my plan into action."

"What about the newspaper ads? She's going to find out," Kawahara called out after Suguru, flapping the newspaper about as Suguru waved goodbye.

"Taken care of. My strategy is working just fine. She won't know what hit her."

"Just make certain she doesn't return the favor, Suguru," said a stony-faced Hamadi.

Gathering up his books, Suguru left for home, lost in thought. "Riho. Riho." He was imagining what it would be like to gaze upon the object of his adoration, as she wrote some hot, steamy message of love on the book. 'To my dearest Suguru, I hope this will get your through the coldest of winter nights. All my love and devotion, Riho Asaoka.' Working out the details of his plan again and again, plotting what he was going to do, what he was going to say, how he was going to do it, he was home before he knew it.

"Mahoro, I'm home," he called out, as he took his books up to his room.

"Suguru, it's so nice that you are home. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

As he turned to go upstairs, Minawa was right in his face. "AARGH! Minawa! What can I do for you?"

"Welcome home, Master." She just stood there as they exchanged stares at one another.

"I…I have to go to my room." And he left as she watched him go up the stairs. At least she seems happier since Hamadi finally confessed his feelings for her, he thought, but there is still a melancholy about her. There was something hidden deep within her that she, herself, could not give voice to. Or, maybe, didn't want to give voice to.

Shutting the door to his room, he moved a table that was in the corner and pulled up the carpet. He tugged gently to reduce the noise of the Velcro that held it down firmly. Once the floor was exposed, he opened a small panel, which led to a secret chamber, holding some of his treasures. "The book will fit here PERFECTLY!" He imagined the book in the proper position, resting there happily with his other treasures. He smiled and restored everything to as it was.

"There will be no repeat of the wall fiasco," he smirked to himself. "Not even Minawa will be able to uncover this location." He came downstairs to the dinner table. "What are you cooking tonight, Mahoro?"

"Just a simple rice omelet. Something nice and light," said Mahoro, as Suguru sat down. Just then, Shikijo came into the house.

"Boy, I am beat and famished. These days are getting longer and longer. When will dinner be ready?" she said, as she sat at the table, next to Suguru.

"Don't you have any other relatives you could be visiting? Who actually like your company? Perhaps your mother and father would enjoy your presence for the evening and, I am sure, they have a more sumptuous feast at the ready for their middle daughter than what is offered here," snorted Mahoro.

"Naah, since you are now the Cooking Shogun, you need to constantly hone your skills, as sharp as the knives you use. Also, this place is just so much closer. And speaking of closer…" Shikijo shoved nearer to Suguru. "…I really don't see what the fuss is all about. What do you see in her? She is only two-dimensional, whereas I…" Shikijo thrust herself out, nearly smothering Suguru in the process. "…I am fully THREE-dimensional and in living color as well!"

Suguru's eyes nearly exploded from his head as Shikijo was in severe danger of losing a button or two from her blouse. Shikijo felt herself being forcefully slammed back into her seat, the firm hand of Mahoro on her shoulder. "Here, have some rice." A plate clunked in front of her. "And who are we talking about?"

Suguru felt panicky, but he could not stop Shikijo from going on. Anything he did would draw more attention to him and with Mahoro right there, there was no way to explain away any of his actions. Perhaps he could fake choking on something. Shikijo spoke a bit, before putting some dinner in her. "Why, Riho Asaoka, that's who."

"Oh, ecchi." shrugged off Mahoro. Suguru relaxed. "I think Suguru learned his lesson about that from a few days ago, didn't you?"

He nodded like a bubblehead doll. "Oh, yes, I certainly did! I was taught a really good lesson! No getting around that! You really drove that point home! I don't think there is any need to bring up anything more about any of that, not in the least. A lesson well taught, a lesson well learned. Nothing more needs to be said or mentioned or discussed!" He tried to get Shikijo to be quiet, but she was not paying attention. Minawa brought over the glasses for everyone.

"Oh, a beer, here, please? I am just parched!" Shikijo waved at Minawa, who went back into the kitchen.

"Although I understand his infatuation with Riho, we have come to an understanding about this area and that he is not going to act in a lewd manner towards women." Mahoro spoke with confidence as Minawa clapped her hands in approval, shaking the beer in the process.

Shikijo was impressed. "Well, you're taking this very calmly. Especially since…..she's coming to town on Saturday!" Suguru gasped at the statement, dropping his chopsticks to the floor, the flop sweat gushing from his brow like a fountain. Minawa let the beer slide through her hand and it hit the floor with a solid thud, rolling about.

Mahoro froze, her hair horns twitching actively, her eyes getting larger and larger. As she began to tremble, her body filling with the building rage, Shikijo continued on casually, speaking between every bite. "You know that every red-blooded man in Hiryu will be there, having the privilege to be able to drool over each real inch of her. I am surprised you didn't read about it. You get the paper, don't you?" She got up to search about.

"I don't remember getting the paper today. In fact, I don't remember seeing the paper for the last few days," Mahoro said through clenched teeth, turning and glowering at Suguru. He tried to hide, but there was no place for him to scurry to. He felt himself melting under the steely intense glare of Mahoro.

"No matter, I have a copy of today's paper." She went to her purse and pulled it out, opening it to the page, which she laid in front of Mahoro. Sitting back down, Shikijo turned to Suguru. "And I know you are already working on a plan to get down there, aren't you?" She gave a wicked smile. Minawa began to cower behind the kitchen island as Mahoro's anger swelled.

Shikijo yakked on and on. "I know that if the object of my desire was coming to town to autograph their latest book, I would personally move Fujiyama to get down there. What was the plan, a day out with the guys? I heard a new video game was released and you could certainly spend a Saturday afternoon blasting zombies. Or perhaps pretending to blast zombies? It's a good plan."

Why is she doing this, thought Suguru. I didn't think she cared one way or the other, but I am getting sabotaged. As Shikijo continued to eat, Mahoro lost it.

"I forbid this! Dirty thoughts are bad!" barked Mahoro. "How many times must we go through this? I never heard anything about it, but I know you saw 'The Bounteous Maid at Work'! Did I not make my feelings clear on this point? Was last week just a futile exercise?"

Suguru sank in his chair as the verbal barrage from Mahoro continued. This was worse than when she first came across his stash back in June. That lecture went on for two solid hours. Minawa peered from behind the island, paralyzed as to what she should do next, if anything. Shikijo leaned over to Suguru, taking his hand underneath the table into hers and giving him a squish. "That's OK, little man. I would be more than happy to do this as a favor. A big favor for you."

Mahoro was incredulous. "As a teacher, how can you even condone such behavior?"

"You are right. I should take a better stand on this. Mr. Misato…" Shikijo turned fully on Suguru. "…it would be best if you understood completely how to best handle women. Anything you see in a book or magazine is filtered through someone else's eyes as to what women are like. You need a fresh perspective. And I can help you best with that! A REAL woman, one of flesh and blood, right here before you!" She positioned herself so Suguru could not miss that she was a real woman.

He looked over to Mahoro, whose face was red with anger and frustration. He did not think he had ever seen her this angry. In fact, he did not believe there was even a word to describe what she must be feeling. If steam poured out of her ears, it would not be that shocking or surprising. What was she going to do? Suguru's mind was a dizzying blur. He couldn't do anything to help himself or his cause.

Infuriated, Mahoro snatched up the can from the floor and shook it frantically as she moved towards the table. Then she slammed it in front of Shikijo hard. It exploded, drenching Shikijo in a waterfall of beer. She gasped and sputtered as the contents emptied itself upon her. As Shikijo wiped her face dry from beer and foam, Mahoro moved right in on Suguru. "If I have to weld myself to you, I will do so. You are NOT going! I will make sure of this! Dirty thoughts are bad!"

Suguru sagged. Perhaps Kawahara was right, except he didn't even get ten meters. Closer to zero or even less than zero. The rest of the evening was a blur to him. He did not even recall getting into bed for the night, but tomorrow was already not going to be a good day.

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 131 DAYS**.

End Notes

The date is partial conjecture, in relationship to the Summer TV Special. There is even an argument afoot that the reason it is called the "Summer TV Special" is that it was shown on TV in the summer, and not that it takes place during the summer.

If you are aware of the timeline, you know that the absolute earliest Minawa shows up is December 8th. The weather in the Special is spring-like, so that puts it into March, but Mahoro takes her savage beating at the hand of Professor Metherius on March 22nd, just a bit after the official start of Spring, so it cannot drag on after that. Besides, those are rather busy days for her as well, as she is in hospital from 3/22 to 4/3 or thereabouts.

And since the end times are particularly frantic, there is actually no time for a story of this nature to sneak in, so it is going to be earlier rather than later.

But you cannot hope for an early, balmy February, so I stuck with March. I imposed a date of March 1st for the start of the entire Special affair, with it concluding on March 6th. Clues like "Several days later" are rather vague and I need some kind of "resting time" between the end of that attack and the beginning of this approach.

The last time I checked, a yen was worth about a penny (OK, 0.009), so I would assume a book of this magnitude for Riho would be about $80 USD. I have a wonderful book called "Les Heroines Disney" (yup, it's all in French and completely unavailable in the US) that a friend nicked for me in Paris and it was 70 Euros at the time (about $75 USD).

I also went to a baseball card sale convention event one Labor Day, where Joe DiMaggio was signing. I was struck at the incredibly tight restrictions placed on his $50 autograph (and he wasn't even signing his full name), but that you could buy approved pictures and there were certain items he would autograph and other items he would not.

For those a bit confused about the exchange between Suguru and Minawa, she had what I called her "Happy Day", when Hamadi confessed his love for Minawa and she finally accepted that she was not a loser, but a real person. Admittedly, it only happened the day before all this (March 10th), but I did not want anything to cross over or intrude on THAT wonderful day for her.

Not that is all honestly matters, as we are about 11 days away from this point from The Horrific Beating, so this really is one of the few, last happy days she will genuinely get. OK, maybe it isn't all that happy, but it isn't really terrible.

I was even debating a couple more stories to tell within that 11-day gap, but I am waiting for something more to occur. I had one person inquire if I was going to write something for EVERY day, from June 17th to April 5th, that was not accounted for, but I responded that not every day is exciting, and I don't know if you could get all that worked up about Mahoro going to the Four for 500 yen Panty Sale.

I have a few vague ideas, but nothing has firmed up, as I am working on another Ariel story as well, so I will work towards a pooling of an additional 13 tales before I commit to a "third season" (as it were). If my muse so wills, I would like to have another 26 tales, so I could have "More In-Between Days."


	22. Chapter 22, The Yagura Castle

"The Yagura Castle"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

March 12th

The next day, at the Shogi Club, Suguru had the paper in front of him, sighing endlessly. Hamadi came up to him, looking concerned. "Is it true? Is it? I mean, when I heard about it, I could not believe it! Really?"

"I will not be able to get out of the house at all. I can barely get to the bathroom without them all over me!" Suguru shook his head ruefully.

"We could go for you," offered Kawahara.

"It just wouldn't be the same." Suguru closed his eyes and gave out a body-shuddering sigh. "I am so under the microscope, I can't even sneeze without her asking questions. Minawa is also tailing me, but she is rather obvious about it. Maybe that IS intentional, so she knows I know she's there. In any case, I am too scared to go to the Treasures, for those could be found as well." He left the newspaper open and laid his head on the table. "Everything was so perfect and Shikijo blew it all up." He began to quietly whimper.

Some of the other players looked up and shook their heads in sympathy to his plight. "Poor guy." "What a revolting development." "Better him than me."

"It's Ryuga-sensei," someone whispered. Not looking up, Suguru stayed down as Ryuga came closer to him. When he saw the paper, he was not happy at all.

"What did I say about the newspaper?" Ryuga looked down at Suguru. Suguru lifted his head slightly, pulled the paper out and gave it to Ryuga without looking at him.

"Here, go ahead and take it. It means nothing to me now."

Ryuga stared at him. "Nothing? I will admit that dirty thoughts are bad, but Ms. Asaoka transcends that, a veritable goddess of beauty and grace."

"Yeah, well, convince Mahoro of that."

Ryuga looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Staring off into space, Suguru pointed towards the bank of windows. "Go to the window and look out straight ahead, but near the base of the light standard."

Ryuga did as he was asked, and saw a black dot near the base of the light, lurking in the bushes. "Oh, ho. It's Slashie," he commented.

"A defining moment of my youth and I have to watch it sail on by." Suguru lifted up a hand to make a pathetic waving with it. "Bye bye."

Ryuga held the paper in his hands, pondered for a moment and left.

"Do you need any help home, Suguru? I mean, I haven't seen you this down since…since…well, it's been a really long time," offered Hamadi.

"Not even when Mahoro discovered our wall ruse, you were not down for long," said Kawahara, offering support.

"Thanks for all that, but I'll be OK. I know that I will be reminded to go home soon enough, so I might as well do so under my own power." But he still lay there, like a fish on a riverbank. He was helped to his feet, his school supplies given to him and sent on his way, lurching and lumbering.

About a block from school, he called out. "You might as well come out, Slash. I know you're there." Slash sauntered out from the bushes.

"I'm not that obvious, Suguru. Besides, Mahoro ordered me to do this. Personally, I do not care one way or the other on this matter, but I have to obey her wishes."

"And what if I asked you NOT to follow me? I am your master as well."

"Mahoro actually told me not to obey the 'don't follow me' order that you might give on this. I don't see what all the fuss is all about." Slash looked away. He felt this was rather beneath him, to shadow Suguru. First, he had to guard her underwear from the Ninja Panty bandit, then he was a baby sitter for Guri-chan; now this. How low could he go?

Suguru sagged. "And I thought I had this all worked out." He continued walking as Slash kept pace with him and told him a story.

"After the Commander Mis….I mean, after the incident with her commander, there was a wholesale ecchi purge at the base. People were in total fear, as Mahoro was everywhere. She really honed her skills at that point."

Suguru stopped and stared at Slash, who sat and looked up at him. Suguru put his stuff down. "I guess I just don't completely understand her feelings in this," concluded Suguru. "I know you told me all this, up in Hokkaido, but there just seems to be a key component that makes her go wild that I am not seeing.

"When she first cleaned my room and discovered my active stash, I got a lecture like you wouldn't believe. It went on for two hours! And she never repeated herself once! What can I do? It's like she has some kind of radar or sonar or night vision where she can sniff it out every time. Anything new I bring in is pounced on, no matter how well I think I have it hidden. And she is finding it sooner and sooner. The last time was in less than 90 minutes! Plus, I can't hope for some kind of lucky intervention as with the Dark Martial Arts Festival, when I was able to steal away. I feel that I am missing out on something really important in my life that may not happen again and…"

Suguru was then keenly aware that a passerby was staring at the both of them. He looked over at him, as the passerby looked back, quite perplexed.

"Haven't you seen anyone talking to their cat before?" said Suguru. The man looked at Suguru, and then looked at Slash. Slash's eyes glistened, as he had a rather scowling expression. He looked back at Suguru, and again to Slash.

"Meow." It was most unconvincing.

The man shook his head and moved on. Suguru sighed, picked up his stuff and plodded home.

At the house, Slash started to go to the doghouse. "No, Slash," offered Suguru. "You had best come in so you can follow me upstairs and watch me do my homework. Mahoro will want a report from you on all this." He went inside, Slash in disgruntled tow.

"Mahoro, Minewa, I'm home." His voice was flat and dry.

"Oh, Suguru, we'll have a snack for you in just a moment." Mahoro was bright and cheery.

"That's OK; I'll just go upstairs and finish up my homework, if you don't mind." He schlepped upstairs, Slash dragging as well.

"Suguru seems rather down," commented Minawa. "I don't like it when he's not happy."

Mahoro took Minawa over to the couch to speak with her. "I do not like it when he is unhappy, either, but he was engaged in active deception and in regards to his ecchi needs. If he is to grow up to be the same caliber of man as his father, he will need guidance to reach there. WE, both of us, have to offer that guidance for him."

"I…see," said Minawa, not fully understanding things.

That night, Suguru looked at the lovely dinner before him, but it might as well have been cardboard. It probably will taste like it as well, he thought. The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," said a chipper Mahoro. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see both Ryuga and Shikijo there. "Oh, what brings you both over?"

"We have a matter that we need to speak to Mr. Misato," said Ryuga. MR. Misato? This was a problem. She allowed them in and they went to the table, sitting across from Suguru. He was shocked by their visit. Although used to Shikijo's daily visits, it was never in tandem with Ryuga and rarely Ryuga at all.

Suguru stared blankly. "Ryuga-sensei, Shikijo-sensei. What can I do for you?"

"I'll get right to the point: I would like it if you would loan me one of your Riho Asoaka magazines," said Ryuga. He noticed Shikijo said nothing, so he kicked her under the table.

"Oh, yes. I would like one as well." She rubbed her shin. That really hurt.

Mahoro was livid. "WHAT!??!" Mahoro's hair horns twitched. Minawa hid behind a counter in the kitchen. She knew what it was like when Mahoro detonated. It was yesterday all over again.

Ryuga continued. "I can understand your infatuation with her, so I would be willing to go down and get an autograph for you from her." Another slow response from Shikijo meant another kick to her, this one a bit harder. She winced, but kept on smiling.

"And so would I. Anything for you, Suguru." Shikijo moved around the table to him.

"What is wrong with you two?" Mahoro was getting steamed. "I have been trying for months to instill into him a sense of the importance to treating women with respect and not be filled with lewd thoughts."

Ryuga stood up. "I certainly agree with that. He needs to understand this particular concept about honest human male and female relationships." There was a pause. Ryuga turned to Shikijo with a withering glare.

She piped up, "And I agree with Ryuga. Suguru needs to get the proper caliber of education in these matters, and I would be most willing to give his private lessons in this area." She closed in on Suguru, looming before him. "Wouldn't you like a tutor or a mentor in this area? Get some real hands-on experience?"

"More like a tormentor, coming from you, Shikijo-sensei!" Mahoro stepped in to monitor the situation between the two of them. She almost slipped into combat mode, as she felt she was under assault. Her hair horns were flapping like a bird in flight.

"Personally, I am taking a practical approach." Ryuga held up a hand to halt Mahoro's advance. "This is an item that can only increase in value. In a few years, who knows how much it would be worth? Certainly with colleges as expensive as they are, and getting more so every day, this autographed item could easily pay for a semester, perhaps even a full year, of tuition."

"But he's not going to this book signing! Not at all!" Mahoro crossed her arms.

Ryuga shook his head 'yes'. "I agree. He's not going. I feel that it is inappropriate for him to rub shoulders with such a large group of leering, prancing, males, salivating a river at the thought of Riho. Now, a little part of me wants him to see this, to show how you are NOT to react, but, overall, it's best if he stays away from that spectacle.

"We also need someone to go who has no emotional commitment to the entire incident; a person who will get this done and not be concerned with other external factors that could distract or confuse."

Shikijo stood up and put a hand on Suguru's shoulder. A shiver ran through his body, both from her touch but also what it was they were trying to do. "As the adults, we can afford that 'layer of disinterest'. It's strictly business and nothing more."

"But you are not in any kind of position to do this! This is wrong and improper!" huffed Mahoro. "He needs positive guidance." Minawa slowly stood up from her spot. Perhaps it will not be as bad as last night. At least, there were no beer cans to explode upon people and Mahoro was not as livid as before. "He needs someone who can help his resist these urges, a person who is kind of heart and pure of heart and gentle of heart."

Ryuga looked concerned. "But could we ask a person who is kind of heart and pure of heart and gentle of heart to do this? It would be an affront to their sense of moral being." He turned his back as though lost in this revelation, pondering a great mystery of the universe.

"I know this for a fact!" chimed in Shikijo. "When you took the Hiryu belt from me in the Dark Arts Festival with your attack, I know that you felt like you lost something of yourself in doing so." Shikijo gave a bit of a half-smile as Mahoro shuddered at the memory. She liked watching Mahoro squirm a bit under the hot light of reason. "How much more do YOU wish to lose?" Shikijo asked this with such concern.

Ryuga turned towards Shikijo. "We have to be considerate of her feelings as well. Exposing her to such an ordeal is not the right thing to do."

Shikijo rubbed her chin as she considered this new bit of information. "True. With so much at stake for her, it borders on the cruel to even consider it."

Ryuga nodded. "The best thing is to send in someone else. Or two someone elses. Those who are of a 'lessened stature'? Is that a proper term to use? It seems so demeaning of a term."

"I would prefer 'situational flexible'. I mean, there are times when you need to be open to possibilities to take full advantage of things. You trade a little here to get a lot there."

Mahoro was aghast. "Are you two even listening to what you are saying? You are talking about this as though your virtue was a negotiable commodity. Neither one of you are in any position to lecture me. I know what Suguru needs best. He needs a person of moral fiber and strong character to help him through this time and times of this nature!"

Mahoro started to waggle her finger at the two of them. "This, by definition, excludes the two of you! You are both painfully governed by your emotions. Who is here that can honestly do this properly? Someone who can make the right decision! Someone who will do the right thing! Someone who will think of Suguru only and not of their own personal wants or needs! Who is this person?"

Shikijo looked to Ryuga. "You know, she's right."

Ryuga nodded. "She is absolutely right." He went up to her and began to shake her hand forcefully. "Thank you sincerely for volunteering to do this for him. I know that he will greatly and deeply appreciate this most stunning and marvelous of gestures."

"What? That is…I…" Mahoro was pole-axed by the turn of events, trying to puzzle out how this conclusion was reached.

"You ARE right. I hadn't really honestly considered that only a person who is kind of heart and pure of heart and gentle of heart is fully fit to have this done for Mr. Misato," pushed Shikijo. "For you will do it for all the right reasons!"

Minawa began to clap in support of this. "Big Sister, you are so kind and brave to do this."

"No! I can't! That is…." Mahoro sputtered.

Shikijo looked at Mahoro. "You are not kind of heart?"

"That's….that's not the point. Dirty thoughts are bad."

"And I still agree with that. But these aren't dirty thoughts. These are business thoughts, which are completely different," concluded Ryuga."

"Well, if you put it that way, I guess……" Mahoro wavered with uncertainty, overwhelmed by the rapidity of the unfolding events.

"Then it's settled!" cheered Shikijo, clapping her on the back. "You had best get there early; the lines will be long. Really, really long!" She put an arm about one shoulder and began to putter her about the house, as they started to get things ready for the big day.

Ryuga came up on the other side of her to help things along. "And they could sell out of the book as well. You're going to need a back-up plan."

"I assume that Suguru has the funds to cover all of this, so that is not a consideration to worry about," Shikijo picked up her shopping bag and handed it to her.

Ryuga withdrew his copy of the paper and placed it in the bag. "Here are the directions and all the instruction so you don't get lost. We can't have you wandering aimlessly about Hiryu trying to find this store."

"But… but what if I really don't want to do this?" said Mahoro. They all stopped.

Ryuga looked over to Shikijo. "Didn't she just agree to it?"

"I could have sworn that she said that she felt she was the only one who could do this properly," mulled Shikijo. "Something about moral fiber and doing the right thing."

Minawa came up to them. "Big Sister, you did say you know what Suguru needs best."

"But…that is…I mean…what I am trying to say is…" Mahoro looked into Minawa's eyes. She could not betray that trust that had taken about four months to build up. She closed her eyes, sighed and sagged, her hair horns drooping so low, they nearly touched her shoulders. "OK. I'll do it, I'll do it," she said in a resigned tone. "So, what is this book I am getting?"

Suguru stood up. "I have a better idea. Rather than buying that book there, I know the exact book for you to bring along……………"

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 131 DAYS**

End Notes

The title for this piece derives from a strategy in the game of Shogi.

The _Yagura castle_ is considered by many to be the strongest defensive position in shogi. It has a strongly protected king; a well fortified line of pawns; and the bishop, rook, and a pawn all support a later attack by the rook's silver or knight. It is notoriously difficult to break down with a frontal assault, though it is weaker from the side. It is typically used against _ibisha_ or "static rook" openings, which involve advancing the rook's pawn. However, one's opponent may just as easily adopt this defense, giving neither side an advantage.

This was some difficult writing for me, as I have to try and be logical when I am not normally logical. I was debating finding some other source material and doing a bit of a homage (which is a nicer way of saying plagiarism), but I could not find anything even close to what I needed to say.

In the larger scheme of things, she basically had this caliber of debate a month earlier (in the anime) when Grandfather Yuuchiro came to visit around Valentine's Day and both she and he had a "discussion" about the self-same "dirty thoughts are bad" stance.

She fared rather badly, so that told me that she could be buffaloed into doing this, with the proper caliber of "logic" and a verbal force trap. It wasn't until I edited this (working on the 'second draft' so to speak) that I realized that Minawa was the key to ensnaring Mahoro into doing this, to the point where Mahoro could not back out, modify or alter the situation.

The sharp-eyed will have picked up on the two ironic lines in this piece. It wasn't until after I wrote them and was into the editing that I stumbled upon it. Sometimes, in the rush to get the words down, you initially miss those rather delectable aspects of everything and only, when you are going through the editing process do things come full force.

And, as I mentioned, when you go back to do editing and tweaking and all kind of cosmetic touch-ups, the elements finally come together. Stories that I thought I could pound out in a week or ten days have now taken upwards of two months, in some cases. This is not due to the actual ability to make writing time, but that the flow and feel was not there.

The odd thing about this set is that they came after the "Chef" series, but were finished before they were (but I had other concerns in the "Chef" stories as well, which delayed those. Who would have thought that fanfics really needed a higher degree of research?)


	23. Chapter 23 The Maiden and the Model

"The Maiden and the Model"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

March 13th

Mahoro sighed and shook her head. She still could not figure out how she got roped into this fiasco, but she had been played well by everyone. She had always known that Ryuga was cunning with his sword, but she did not know how cunning he was with his logic. She had been completely outclassed.

She stood patiently in line with what seemed to be absolutely every male in all of Hiryu. Shikijo-sensei was certainly right on that account. A quick scan of the line showed her to be the only female waiting, and, possibly, the only other female in the entire store.

Bashō Books was a substantial bookstore, but even they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. It was rumored they had ordered 300 copies of the books and they were already sold out. There was a desperate request sent out for additional copies, but there was uncertainty if they would arrive in time, as the actual hours for autographs were comparatively brief.

In fact, anything in regards to Riho Asaoka has been sold out. The table of photos had long since been picked clean and no item that even had a passing reference to her remained an orphan. The current items of interest were the posters promoting her book and the signing of them. They were being raffled off at the end of the day, for a mere 100 yen a chance, and people were buying whole forests of tickets, as she offered to sign those as well for the winner.

The line slowly moved forward. The book was in Mahoro's bag and she held the red signature ticket. Even though she had gotten there early, the crowd was tremendous. The way it snaked about the bookstore, she could not see Riho at all. There were a few people in the store actually not there for Riho, but they were a distinct minority.

They had to negotiate the large intestine of people, as the line went up and down the narrow aisles. The store was so crowded, it forced the manager to move the table to a far corner of the store. Once you were done, when you had your autograph, you were quickly escorted from the building and outside, where you could breathe the cool March air.

Fans were placed about the store to have some kind of air circulation about. Too many oxygen-breathers made for tough times. Several staff members were handing out bottles of water so people wouldn't pass out. Still, overall, people were acting in a rather civilized manner about the whole thing.

Maroho could hear bits and pieces of the many conversations surrounding her. Guys were talking about Riho as though they had actually met her, commenting about pictorials and layouts and centerfolds that they had seen. Then it eventually dawned on Mahoro: every person in this place, and that meant EVERY person, had seen Riho nude. Even she had stared at pictures of her. She, of course, was doing it for comparative purposes only, but every man in this store had gazed upon her with lewd thoughts and lurid fantasies that….Mahoro shook her head, trying to dislodge the notion, lest it burrow in deeper.

As the line turned the final corner, she caught a glimpse of Riho. Even though she was sitting down, she was much shorter than she imagined. The line was trying to be moved crisply, but the guys would still dawdle and gawk and leer, trying to squeeze some conversation from her.

As she got closer, one of Riho's many handlers asked for her autograph ticket. Mahoro was impressed with the level of security about here. Unless you had an excellent reason, you were not going to get too close to her. Once the ticket was taken, she had a rubber stamp applied to her hand of a tiger. When she was within about five people of her, Mahoro then got an excellent view of her.

She was a stunning beauty. The pictures in the magazines did not do her justice. She wore a rather demure outfit, certainly in stark contrast to her normal state of dress, or undress, as the case may be. It allowed one to see her figure, but she was not flaunting it about. She smiled prettily and signed book after book, making small talk. It was a rather capacious tome, certainly destined for the coffee table. Mahoro could not imagine having something like that out for all the guests to see.

When Mahoro got to the table, she withdrew the book from her bag and placed it in front of her. Riho paused for a moment to look at the book, and then up at her with an expression of curious uncertainty. Mahoro heard one person behind her comment. "Oh, my God, it's the banned book! 'On the Beach at Dawn'!" An electric buzz went through the line, everyone passing on the news down the way.

Riho smiled and continued to stare. When she spoke, it was such a lilting tone. "I am just curious as how you came in possession of this. This one was banned nearly everywhere. It was recently upgraded to a Four-A rarity rating. This was some of my best work, too, I might add. Even I don't have a copy of this one."

"It was a New Year's gift for my Master," Mahoro replied flatly. Riho smiled and picked up her pen. Mahoro could not contain herself any more; it had been building for hours and it popped out. "You know, dirty thoughts are bad." She didn't say it with any vindictiveness, more like a statement of fact. One of the guards reacted, but Riho waved him off, as though she was expecting this comment sooner or later.

Riho opened the book. "Oh, I couldn't agree more." Mahoro looked stunned as she continued. "We all have a special ability to do something very well." She tapped the book. "This is what I do well. The day will come when I cannot do this well anymore, so I must work as hard as I can now. Who shall I sign it for?" She gave a most alluring smile.

"Uh…Suguru Misato." Mahoro watched as she wrote in the book. Holding for a moment, Riho laid down the pen and got out her purse. Withdrawing some lipstick, she put it on. Puckering her lips, she bent down and kissed the page of the book. A gasp could be heard in the bookstore.

"She kissed the book!" "She kissed it?" "A book kissing?" It was as though the cicadas had come to town, so much buzzing could be heard.

"We'll give that a moment to dry, OK?" Picking up the pen again, she signed her name, and then added something else in smaller writing at the bottom of the page. "Please tell your Suguru-sama that he has a very understanding maid and that he should appreciate you more." Then she stood up.

"She stood up! She stood up!" More buzz shot through the store. Riho bowed politely to Mahoro, who returned the bow. The book was then handed to Mahoro.

"Thank you," said Mahoro. She placed the book in her bag and started to leave, keenly aware that everyone was staring at her as she was directed from the store. Once outside the bookstore, a balding man came up to her.

"I will give you 10,000 yen for that book!" he barked.

"It's…it's not for sale." Mahoro was surprised by the offer.

"25,000 yen. 50,000 yen. 75,000 yen. 100,000 yen!" Mahoro quickened her pace as the man called after her, raising the price with every request. He was eventually stopped by security, which gave Mahoro a chance to disappear. Calling upon the Sylpheed, she quickly soared home, away from the madness. So lost was she in her thoughts, it wasn't until the Vesper Building in Tokyo loomed before her that she realized she had gone too far. She had to stop slipping into her 'bo' face, she chastised herself.

Once back at home, she carried on as though nothing happened, although everything had happened. As she came in, Suguru was sitting on the couch, watching TV, as Minawa puttered about. Before he could speak, Mahoro went right to him, pointing a finger at his nose. "Dirty thoughts are bad, but I will allow you to look at this book for this evening ONLY. It then will be hidden away until it is time for college, when it will be sold at that point. You may look at it after dinner! And I am never to hear about this day ever again, not even in passing conversation!

"And if you think you can do something like this to me ever again, I will personally dismantle this house board by board until I find EVERY piece of ecchi you own! If you have to live in a tent until it is all completely discovered, I will do whatever it takes to get it done! I haven't forgotten about that wall trick you pulled, so I know you have a creative mind, but I have a determined mind to match yours!"

Mahoro's hair horns were flapping wildly, until it seemed that she might take flight with them. And the more Mahoro spoke, the closer she got to Suguru until he was almost burrowed into the couch cushions. The doorbell rang. "Minawa, will you get that, please? I am still speaking with Suguru!"

The door was opened and everyone came in. They stopped short when they saw Mahoro practically crushing Suguru into the frame of the couch. No one said a thing.

Mahoro then went bolt upright and turned to see everyone. A big smile crossed her face as she waved to all. "Welcome, everyone! Dinner will be ready in a little bit, so, please, head outside onto the veranda and enjoy the rest of the day." Suguru took this opportunity to escape from his grilling and almost crashed through the sliding glass door.

In the backyard, Suguru was then pumped for information by his friends. Minawa circulated with a tray of drinks.

Rin and Chizo spoke to each other. "I have never seen Mahoro so angry," started Rin, as she took a glass from the tray.

"From what I understand, she was fooled into doing this, so I would be angry as well," mused Chizo. "Mmmmmmm. She always makes such a lovely iced tea. I would half suspect she flies to India itself to pick the leaves fresh."

Miyuki sighed. "I just don't know what all the fuss is about."

"Must be a guy thing," said Rin.

Hamadi and Kawahara were more animated, standing on either side of Suguru. "Have you seen it yet? Have you? Have you? Have you?"

Suguru sighed and sagged. "No, and tonight will be the only time I will be allowed to do so. It's almost as if I can never keep a secret from her. She has some kind of radar or tracking or homing device on this matter. I was soundly beaten on this one."

Suguru stood up and began to walk about the yard, the guys in tow. "It would have been marvelous to see her and to smell her and to hear her; to be that close to her beauty." He sighed again as he thrust his hands into his pockets and kicked at an errant stone. "Everything is always just that far out of reach for me." He stuck out his arm to emphasize this point. The guys nodded and also sighed.

Evening slowly fell as wonderful smells emanated from the house. Mahoro went to the patio doors. "Dinner is served. Please come in." Everyone was greeted with a teriyaki beef dish and a miso soup.

"Excellent as always, Mahoro," applauded Chizo. "Even the chefs at the Teriyaki Gambit House can't hold a candle to you. It's this proper balance of all the ingredients that makes it…" Just then, the doorbell rang. Mahoro turned to the dinner guests.

"Please enjoy your dinner. I will get it." When she went to the door and opened it, her jaw dropped open.

"May I come in, please?"

Mahoro escorted in the guest.

"Who was it, Mahoro?" called out Suguru.

"Someone to see you."

He looked up to see…Riho Asoaka! He choked on a piece of beef and Kawahara tried to help him out, but his eyes were focused on her. Hamadi looked over and was stunned, his mouth agape. The girls all rose in unison at her.

"I hope I'm not disturbing anything," said Riho. "I did not mean to interrupt your dinner."

"Please, have something to eat," offered Mahoro. "We have enough for everyone." She escorted her to an open seat at the table.

"Just a small bit, thank you. I do have to watch my figure," she said. Minawa just looked out, with a total blank expression on her face, not really certain what to do.

The girls stared on in total amazement as Riho sat at the table. They had never seen anyone move with such grace and ease. Meanwhile, Suguru was almost purple, as Kawahara was completely useless in helping him. Riho got up, went behind Suguru, put her arms about him in a big hug and gave him the Heimlich Maneuver.

A chunk of beef popped out. She returned to her seat as if nothing had happened. Suguru collapsed to the table with equal parts of asphyxiation and wonderment. Kawahara was stunned that such a tiny person could do this and he felt like he should choke on something, so Riho would squeeze him.

Riho looked over to the girls, who were looking over at her. "You know, you all have excellent bone structure. You easily have what it takes to be a model, especially you." Riho pointed at Rin, who blushed.

Riho looked down at her portion of dinner and a glass of green tea before her and started to dine. Hamadi still gazed on in total silence as she dined. Although his chopsticks went from food to face, no food was picked up and it never made it into his mouth.

"We are so honored to have you here," said Mahoro, spryly bowing.

"You were the only woman who came by the store; I felt that I should at least come here to visit and meet the person behind the book." Riho pointed with her chopsticks to a panting Suguru. "I assume this is Suguru-kun?" Mahoro nodded.

Rin stared on. Visit? Miyuki stared on. Here? Chizo stared on. Only?

"This is such lovely teriyaki," commented Riho. "You have a firm hand in the kitchen. I see this is what you do very well."

"Riho. Riho. Riho." Suguru mumbled on. "She hugged me."

Minawa sat next to Riho and just looked at her. Riho looked back. Minawa spoke. "I don't know what all the fuss is about."

Riho looked back at Minawa and moved closer to her, whispering, "Neither do I."

Mahoro came up to her. "Will you be staying for dessert?"

She shook her head 'no'. "As much as I would like to, I have another book signing in Tokyo tomorrow and my handlers want me to get there as soon as possible so I can be ready for those crowds. Such is the price of fame. But I felt that I would be derelict in my duties not to drop in, even if it is for a few moments. A few tasty moments, I must add. Would I be asking too much of you if I may, please, have a little of this to take along with me?"

"I would be glad to do this for you." Mahoro bowed, and then went into the kitchen to prepare the meal.

Riho stood up, as did Kawahara and Hamadi, who banged his knee against the underside of the table. Suguru had to be helped to his feet, as he was still in a state of shock. Mahoro came back with a small tray of food, which was placed in a bag.

"I wish you could stay longer, but I understand the needs of your fans," said Mahoro, handing her the bag. "I did include a small dessert for you.

"Thank you, you are so kind, but there are two more things I need to do. Do you have a camera?" Minawa left to get the camera while Riho sat next to Suguru. "You need evidence, right, as no one will believe you."

Minawa had problems with the camera, so Hamadi took it from her and snapped off a couple of photos. With that done, Riho went into her purse and pulled out the lipstick. Putting it on, she then went to Kawahara, Hamadi and Suguru, planting a goodly kiss on their cheek. Each had a memento of the event, with a very colorful lip print. The girls stood in stark silence, overwhelmed by it all.

"Well," said Riho, with a touch of sadness in her voice. "It's time to go." All followed her to the door. Before she opened it, Riho turned about. "Thank you for a wonderful time," she said bowing

"Thank you for honoring us with your presence," replied Mahoro. Everyone bowed, although the guys, still in a state of massive shock, mumbled something and had to be prodded into bowing. Mahoro opened the door, where the steely-eyes chauffeur stood on the porch.

"Time to go," he said, gruffly. Riho sighed, and then left into the night. Everyone stayed at the door and watched her get into the limo. She turned to wave one last time before the capacious car swallowed her up and she disappeared into the night. All waved until the car was long out of sight, then they retreated into the house.

Back inside, the dishes were cleared from the table and it was wiped down while everyone else went into the front room.

"Get the camera! Get the camera! Get the camera!" hollered Hamadi. "Here is MY evidence. I'll never wash this cheek again!"

"I guess it will join other parts of his body," whispered Rin. Miyuki stifled a snicker.

Mahoro brought out the book and laid it on the table. Everyone stared at it with reverence and awe.

"Who would have thought such a simple publication could cause all this turmoil and consternation," mused Kawahara.

"Don't you feel kind of odd that WE are going to be looking at this?" offered Miyuki.

"Riho thought I could make it as a model," said Rin, in stunned appreciation.

"No one touches it!" said Suguru, who put out his arms to block anyone from getting close. Bolting out of the room, he came back in wearing a pair of cotton gloves. "I will be the one to turn the pages!" He delicately opened the front cover, gingerly handling it at the corners, to see where Riho had autographed it.

"Look!" pointed Hamadi. "She kissed the book as well. This IS something special."

"You may have driven it up to a Five-A rarity rating," said Chizo.

"Some man wanted to buy it from me for 200,000 yen," said Mahoro, as all turned to look at her with incredulity.

"SIX-A rarity rating," said Chizo.

"200,000?" Kawahara looked at the book, and then moved back. "Perhaps I am not worthy to gaze upon this."

"It's OK, OK? OK! Everybody, it's OK. Don't worry about a thing." Suguru opened the book and read the inscription out loud. "'To my dearest Suguru Misato, All my love and devotion, Riho Asaoka. P.S. Dirty thoughts ARE bad.' WHAT!??!"

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 130 DAYS**.

End Notes

This was another of those stories that I wanted to wrap up quickly, but soon discovered that the arc took me, again, over three days (just as with the Cooking Shogun stories). It fits in with my philosophy to try and make every day interesting for Mahoro.

Bashō Books is named after one of Japan's greatest writers. Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) was the, _**Matsuo Bashō**_ most famous poet of the Edo period. During his lifetime, Bashō was renowned for his works in the collaborative _haikai no renga_ form; today, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku. He was born, however Matsuo Kinsaku, with Basho being a pen name.

At one time, I worked at Tower Books and was there for a Gary Larson book signing. Let me tell you how absolutely insane it was. The original idea for the signing had to be abandoned when we were overwhelmed. Every Gary Larson item was gone, gone, gone, but we were lucky to get a special shipment from the San Francisco store in time for things.

Still, madness did not even begin to cover things. Our concern, with any kind of autograph party, is that there will be some joker who wants to do more that just make small talk and perhaps even challenge said autographer/author. I went to a Chuck Jones signing and he basically signed things and you moved on.

Of course, when it feels like you have half the West Coast breathing down your neck and only a three hour or so window to make everyone happy, it does get a touch "assembly line".


	24. Chapter 24, the Truth Is Out

"…the Truth Is Out"

by Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

April 3rd

The main conference room in Vesper HQ was a rather imposing area. It was exceptionally tall and wide, with a bank of seats on either side, but these sat atop a huge podium, so whatever person was on the floor would be dwarfed. These benches were angled inwards so at the point of the "V" was The Wall, from where Commander-In-Chief Don Vesper spoke.

Some referred to it as the Radio, as one only heard his voice emanating from it. All in all, it was not a pleasant place to be. Despite the size, it was stuffy, especially when Don decided to drone on with one of his three-hour lectures. But today, it was made even worse, as one member of the panel was tardy. Everyone had been waiting and waiting and waiting.

Sub-Commander Gunji tried to stay alert, but was struggling, nodding off. He snuck a peek at his watch. Almost two hours they had been waiting for Professor Hokaze to show up and deliver the report on the status of Mahoro. She had received a horrific beating at the hand of Professor Metherius almost two weeks earlier and there were concerns at one point that she might not make it.

Whatever the reasons for the delay, one NEVER kept Don Vesper waiting. Looking over to his friend, Commander Daimon, he saw he had been making doodle after doodle. Things were not going well, as Gunji's eyelids fluttered again; he wanted to sleep.

Then, the Radio spoke. "Ms. Shiina…"

Eimi Shiina was the secretary, but in title only, as she did much more than that. She was more of a liaison between Don and the rest of the staff. She stood up crisply. "Yes, sir."

"The word did get out to EVERYONE about this meeting, correct?" Don sounded rather irritated.

"Yes. Everyone received a message and I personally reminded everyone this morning." Shiina was very terse. No one ever questioned her efficiency. She was so good at what she did, there were whispers that she was an android as well.

"I want security to find Professor Hokaze. Now."

Gunji stood up. "Do you think it would be best of we all hunted him down? It might be faster and…"

"No. The rest of you will stay. I do not want the professor be found, only to have some other person missing. We will wait here a bit longer. As soon as security finds him, I want…"

Suddenly, there was a hard pounding at the huge doors of the conference room and a muffled request. "Hey! Hey, does someone want to open these damn doors for me? I'm full. My hands are full. 'Bang, bang, bang, open the door, baby!'" Then came two hard knocks, and another reply from the doors. "'Knock a little louder, honey.'"

Everyone looked at one another as Shiina went to the doors. Gunji turned to Daimon and whispered. "That doesn't really sound like Hokaze." Daimon shook his head 'no'.

Just as Shiina got to the door, it flew open and Professor Hokaze nearly fell on the floor. The only thing that prevented that from happening was his forearm being jammed into the door handle to force it open. Shiina recoiled and moved backwards.

Professor Hokaze was a mess: his hair was rumpled, his clothing wrinkled and stained with who knew what and he was disheveled. In one hand was a thick sheaf of paper and the other held a half-filled bottle of some fluid. He removed his arm from the door and looked to Don.

"Am I late?" He tried to focus on his watch, but he couldn't, then he took a swig from his bottle. He turned to the back side of the door and shoved it closed with his foot, then staggered up to the Radio. Shiina remained close, just in case he fell over.

Whispers of "He's drunk!" could be heard underneath as he wended his way closer and closer to Don. He tried to maintain his balance, but it was tricky.

Don roared. "You're drunk, Professor Hokaze!"

Hokaze looked up, a bit perplexed, and then broke into laughter. Taking a long draught, he responded. "Yes, and you're stupid! But tomorrow…tomorrow, I'll be sober!" He pointed at Don with his bottle hand. The staff sat in uncomfortable silence, uncertain what to do. It was like watching a train wreck. They wanted to turn away, but they couldn't. What was happening?

"What is WRONG with you, professor?" People could barely remember the last time Don got this mad.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with YOU! YOU! Do you know what your problem is, Donny-chan? You are a lying liar! LIAR!" The professor had another swallow.

"Ms. Shiina, will you get the report from the professor?"

Shiina tried to, but he kept it out of her reach and behind his back, so they spiraled about in a game of keep-away. Then, he brought her close. Shiina grimaced from the stink and stench about him, but he spoke in low tones.

"Ever know a secret? A secret only YOU know?" He tapped her on the nose with the pinky of his bottle hand before he had another sip. "And…and…and…this secret is of such a nature that…" The doctor began to laugh. "…that rather than tell anyone, you'd prefer…" He looked about to make sure no one was watching, and then came back to her. "… to kill yourself?" He stifled a huge horse laugh, snorted through his nose and politely shoved Shiina away, reeling backwards from the force.

"Wheee! I'm a plane!" he said as he spun about.

"Professor Hokaze, the report, PLEASE!" Don was out of patience.

"The report?" The doctor looked at his other hand to see the report still tightly clenched. "Oh, the report. Well, where to begin?" He tried to flip through the pages, while still holding the report in one hand and the bottle in the other, but it was tough going. "Well, perhaps this would be best if I presented it this way."

The doctor screwed himself up like a spring and jumped as high as he could, flinging the paperwork at the peak of his leap. It exploded outwards, scattering and fluttering its way down to the floor. The professor admired his handiwork. "Oooh. Snow." He took a long drink, and then tottered over to Shiina, who was paralyzed with indecision. He put his arm about her shoulder in a friendly manner, staring at the bottle while he spoke.

"Now, let me tell you about sake. The drinking of sake is to be done in a very delicate ceremony. You are to offer it gently warmed, not hot, about 35 degrees C, although some are better at 7 degrees C. It should be served in tiny porcelain bowls, although small cups are acceptable, but they are not to exceed one ounce, and it is to be sipped." He had another massive slug, released Shiina and staggered towards The Radio, taking loudly.

"Contrary to popular belief, sake is not a rice wine but a beer made from rice. OK, there are some folks who would argue that sake is sake, deserving a special category all of its own, but we'll discuss this aspect later.

"People get confused because the alcohol content is so high, 17 to 18 percent, whereas regular beer is around 5 to 6 percent. Now, the best sake needs the best rice and that comes from either, or both, Bizen-Omachi in Okayama Prefecture and Yamadanishiki in Hyogo Prefecture, both exquisite rice-producing districts."

"MS. SHIINA!" Don voice boomed about the room and everyone winced at the volume, except the professor. "Please escort everyone from the room; I will speak with the professor alone!" The tone was stern and unforgiving. Everyone stood up to leave, as they did not need to be asked twice and practically fled to the door. The professor continued on unabated.

"Fermented from rice, rice-koji, that's the mold used to convert the starch in rice into fermentable sugars, and water, it is then pressed through a mesh to strain away the solids and yield a clear beverage and….hey, where is everyone going? I still haven't commented about the fire-brewed nature of this Green Star Refined Sake and…" The doctor's tone changed to sarcasm.

"Oh, I see, I'm in BIG trouble now. Looks like I'm gonna get a whoopin' for being bad." He offered his bottle as the last of them left. "Sure you don't want a swallow? Absolutely exquisite. They really should promote it as fire-brewed, but you have to really look hard for it." The door slammed with a dreadful finality. "I have more," he said, holding up the bottle. Shrugging it off, he turned to face Don.

"And what do you have to say for yourself, Professor Hokaze?"

The doctor smiled. "I have never liked you. Not even in the tiniest way. I could hurl epithets at you all day long and it wouldn't matter to you." He took another draught of sake. "So I hurl something at you that you will UNDERSTAND!" The doctor heaved the bottle as hard as he could at the Radio. Despite his condition, the bottle flew straight and true, shattering on the face of the Radio. Glass shards and sake residue showered everywhere.

"How do you like them apples!?"

Don was silent for a moment. "So, it is bad?"

The doctor started to laugh. "Bad? Bad? I would LOVE it if it was merely bad. Bad would be an improvement. I could work with bad. Bad, bad, bad." He fell to his knees, arching backwards, laughing and laughing, and then it evolved into crying. Huge, body-wracking sobs as the tears gushed from him. He pitched forward, staring at his hands. "Useless! Useless!" he croaked out.

"It would have been better and kinder to have left her in Warrior Mode! Instead…" The doctor looked up with hatred burning in his eyes. He staggered to his feet and lurched towards the Radio. "Instead, you tortured her, you tortured me. You tortured us all, you ungrateful monster!"

Don said nothing.

"Do you remember the meeting of June 17th? I do. That was the day you gave her a choice. Some choice! You should have let her die with dignity and not string this whole mess out for so long! That day is burned into me, for after we removed what we could and sent her for training at the Vesper Housekeeping Services, you spoke to me."

The doctor cleared his throat and tried to imitate Don. "'Professor Hokaze, I have a special project for you. You know Mahoro the best out of any of us. All of Vesper's resources are at your disposal. I want you to find a way to save Mahoro. Whatever it costs, whatever it takes, you must do it.' But you knew. You already knew!"

He went right up to the Radio and began to rant. "You knew full well that there was NOTHING that could be done. Our technology prevented us from cracking the energy problem. I must have clear-cut Saskatchewan with my useless and futile efforts to save her. Endless reams of paper and calculations and scenarios that were DOOMED TO FAIL! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!" The professor's voice was remarkably clear, as his grief echoed off the hard surfaces, reflecting back upon him like a Greek Chorus. He staggered backwards, and then went to the Radio, laying his face against it and tapping his finger on the surface, speaking through clenched teeth.

"We couldn't protect her THEN, we didn't protect her NOW, we can't protect her EVER! Do you know what it is like to watch someone you care about die before your eyes and you stand, impotent, unable to do a thing? Do you know what that feels like? I want to die, but I can't and the torture continues for us all!" He stepped back and walked in an unsteady circle.

"War means people die, I know that, but this isn't war, it's the peace and she still dies! And it's YOUR fault! You sanctimonious prick! You do not have to stand there and look Mahoro in the eyes and tell her she has very little operating time left. That cold, steely knife of anguish, twisting in your guts; the words like razor blades, cutting and slashing as they leave your throat. You can taste the metal in your mouth!" He clutched his hands to his face, as though he wished to rip his tongue out.

"She was so happy that Minawa and Nanami would be all right, then, watching that smile turn south, her complexion go ashen, every fiber of her being droop and sag, as I told her that she was not that lucky! My pain is that I am the ONLY one who knows when that horrible date is! Even she did not choose to know. That, my friend, is true courage. I suffer along with her. And when she is no longer here, I get to carry that pain with me, FOREVER, no thanks to YOU!"

Hokaze placed his hands on his head, pulling his hair into a ball as he tried to catch his breath. He was sweating profusely and getting overheated as well, as sweat stains were apparent on him, like giant gray spots. He attempted to unbutton his shirt, but his hands were too clumsy to work right, so he tore at his clothes. A couple of buttons popped free and could be heard to clatter against the unforgiving floor

Don's tone was more subdued. "So, how much time is left?"

Professor Hokaze turned his face upwards and put his hands over his eyes. "You know, life is not without a sense of irony, for it mocks us all. Do you really want to know?" He turned to vent his full fury upon the Radio. "Are you willing to join in the suffering? Great! Misery LOVES company!"

The doctor tried to make himself presentable and stood dead center in front of the Radio. "As it stands right now, Mahoro has…37 days left! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! 37 days! I labored for 280 days and did NOTHING for her!" He jabbed a finger in Don's direction. "If you have some kind of miracle to give me, I need it NOW! Otherwise, you can watch as she slowly dies and we can all be prepared for May 10th!"

He then rushed the Radio and began to attack it with an unmatched outrage: punching kicking, pounding. He barked his knuckles against the face of it and gashed his hands, leaving bloody smears. Dents appeared as his rage gained with every passing second.

"I hope you die! I want you to roast in the fiery pits of Hell for all eternity for this one, Don! Why did you even think to put in a termination code on her? I'll tell you why! You are a COWARD! You hide away from everyone so you don't have to feel anyone's pain and suffering! You were terrified that she couldn't be controlled, so this was something to protect us all!

"But by the time you figured things out, that she was pure of heart and gentle of heart and kind of heart, it was TOO LATE to change anything! Or maybe you thought she would be destroyed in battle and we wouldn't HAVE to deal with this problem. Come out from behind there, so I can give you the beating of a lifetime, a beating you have EARNED!

"Maybe I don't know hand-to-hand combat that well and my martial arts skills aren't that refined, but I will still beat the smack out of you! I don't care who you are, what you are or whatever tricks you can pull out of your magic hat, you don't scare me AT ALL!

"Mahoro is not a machine or an android or a cyborg or whatever you wish to call her to strip her of her humanity. She is a PERSON, and certainly has more heart and soul and decency in one fingernail than you will ever gain in an eternity of lifetimes! She is the sister I never had!"

The professor staggered backwards, hands bloodied and staining his lab coat, gasping and panting for air. He wiped his brow and left a bloody smear on his forehead. Mixing with his sweat, it streamed down his face. "God, I could go for some sake right now!" He reeled about, trying to shake something from his head. "Is the room spinning?" Spiraling around in a graceful pirouette, he collapsed to the floor in a dead faint.

The room was quiet, and then a chirping sound was heard. Shiina came into the room and gasped at the sight: papers strewn everywhere, glass fragments, the Radio dented and bloodied, the professor in a heap. She rushed to check Hokaze.

"Ms. Shiina," Don asked.

She looked up to Don. "Yes?"

"Get the medical unit over here and have Professor Hokaze tended to. Then, this room is to be cleaned and repaired. All that paperwork in regards to Mahoro is to be bagged, shredded and burned. NO ONE is to look at them. The staff is to be advised that today never happened and it will not be spoken of again. The professor deserves that degree of consideration."

"But…what of Mahoro?" asked Shiina.

"We are to respect her wishes, but we will continue to work in resolving the situation. As long as there is time, there is always hope. And we still have time."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION IN 37 DAYS.**

End Notes

The date is conjecture, but a solid guess. Based on the manga, President Greg is killed on April 2nd and Mahoro is still in hospital at that time. Whether she was released later that day or the following day is open to interpretation, but I opted for an additional day of observation, sending her home on the 3rd.

The problem is the storyline gets so convoluted at this point, dates are hard to truly establish. It almost appears that she is released early on the 3rd.

This story came upon me full force, because of a quote. Initially, I resisted doing any stories after March 20th, as I wanted to think about the "happy" times, such as they were. (I mean, if you think about it, Mahoro was 18 seconds away from destruction during the Crab Robot episode and, if it wasn't for both Slash and Suguru making an appearance at the hospital grounds, she would have met her end on September 23rd, where that one was about 15 seconds away.)

I ran into a quote attributed to Sir Winston Churchill, in his long-running battle with Lady Astor. He was in his cups when encountering her and she remarked, "You're drunk." Churchill retorted, "And you're ugly, but tomorrow, I'll be sober."

I had been writing a fanfic for September 23rd, which would cover Mahoro getting called into Vesper HQ, as they learn of her fight with Ryuga, and some of these points are raised in that story (but this one was completed before that one) so I drew on those ideas that were ventured forth here.

A lot of the professor's anger comes from me, as I still feel that, although the driving force for the anime/manga is her End Time, there had to be something that could have happened to prevent it. I would have even accepted that they cracked the energy problem, only to have her fall in full battle. That might have made for a more poignant ending, but I only do fan fiction, so I have little say in things. I mean, I didn't even hear of this show until it was long off the air, and only because I am a bit of a pervert and ran into the Pi Deal Alpha segment on YouTube.

I really wanted to cut loose with the language, going into my black bag of scathing insults and profane language, but, it's bad enough I'm pushing a "T" with these stories. I don't need to run afoul of inappropriate dialogue and get removed, but there are words that you would really say: mean, nasty, cruel, ugly talk for those who need a verbal beating.

Hokaze's rather cryptic comment, before he gets into the Conference Room, comes from the B-52s song "Love Shack", as part of the bridge chorus. As least I didn't hurl in the "Tin roof….rusted." line.

Hokaze's "useless" line is the actual last words of John Wilkes Booth, as he lay dying outside the burning warehouse where he was shot, staring at his hands.

The reference to Green Star Refined Sake is where Mahoro and Ryuga first met on August 31st, which resulted in a building fire at the end of their fight. I used to drink a fire-brewed beer, and since sake is a beer, why not have this little twist in things?

The reference to the conversation that Hokaze and Don had on June 17th can be seen a bit better in the first chapter of this Grand Opus, "A New Life". It is a touch of a throwaway line, as Mahoro hears it as she is getting in the elevator to leave the lab after her armaments have been removed from her, but it is referenced.

Folks familiar with the storyline know that this really is the end. A series of events over the next (about) three or four days result in the end of Vesper, the exposing and destruction of most of Management and the demise of Mahoro. Again, because of the rather fluid nature of the events (plus the slightly divergent story lines from the manga and the anime), there is no rock solid day and my ending story, "A Sprig of Hope", is actually dated too late when it potentially happens.

My problem with this story is that I can actually see it as an anime (and it will never happen). I envisioned some of the sequences, storyboarding them in my mind. When Hokaze talks about the sake ceremony, I see Suguru and Mahoro, dressed in traditional Japanese garments, approaching the drinking of the sake with much decorum, done in a woodcut style of art.

Oh, and for those you cannot do Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion (like me) 7C equals 45 degrees F and 35 C equals 95 degrees F.

Now, the next story in the sequence should be "A Sprig of Hope", but that was already posted some time back and I didn't think you wanted to reread it, even with my corrections. I am half tempted to place it here, so all the stories are together, but I must ponder on this point.


	25. Chapter 25, In the Grand Scheme of Thing

"In the Grand Scheme of Things"

A 'What If…' Series of Stories

By Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

July 20th

Mahoro awoke. She lay there in her bed for a moment to take it all in, listening to the birds twittering in the trees outside her window. It was another day on borrowed time for her. Professor Hokaze was amazed that she had lasted as long as she did. Considering the horrific beating she took at the hands of Dr. Metherius in March, she wasn't given too much time from that point.

Everyone was still equally stunned as to how she was able to survive the fight with 227 on the Yucatan Peninsula three weeks later. Hokaze could only chalk it up to a kind of serendipitous energy implosion shield that protected Mahoro while it destroyed Ferdelance. It was some time before Vesper was even aware of her survival, as they were in total chaos at that point.

She had undergone a battery of tests to determine her soundness. Hokaze refused to tell anyone when her proposed End Time would be, stating, 'It comes for everyone, so let it come and live as you wish, Mahoro. Make every day important.' Still, everyone was relieved that she had not met her end on that April evening, especially Suguru.

With The Keepers exposed and on the run, life at the Misato household had gotten a little bit dull, not that Mahoro minded at all. The house had been rebuilt from the March attack and things were back on an even keel, so other issues could be attended to.

Still, it was another day to get things done and do it as best as one could. Also, it was that Special Day, the trip to Commander Misato's gravesite. She had best get moving, as there was still much to be accomplished. She got up and dressed herself, then prepared breakfast for everyone. As she was cooking, both Minawa and Nanami came downstairs, also dressed in their maid outfits.

Suguru came down a bit later, wearing somber clothing. Mahoro made a small grimace. The scar on his face had receded somewhat, but it would always be there. Even Professor Hokaze could do nothing about it. She blamed herself for giving it to him, although Suguru was unconcerned. Besides, it made him look dashing, he quipped.

As they ate, Mahoro outlined the day. "Today is July 20th, a time that we set aside to visit and tend to the Misato Family Plot. I have the trip laid out for us all. There will be a place to stop so I may get the Chinese Bluebells. I also have in my bag what we will need to spruce up the site. I cannot tell you how quickly weeds can take over. Look at our own yard! I hope to get there early, as it promises to be a very hot day indeed and…" Mahoro stopped, as light sobbing could be heard.

She looked over to see Minawa had stopped eating, a lone tear trickling down her face. Nanami looked on with shock. "Minawa, you're…you're crying."

Minawa spoke in halting breaths. "I'm sorry, but….I…I don't want to go. I don't like….places like that. They…they make me unhappy. I think of all those people…that I have lost and…I'm sorry, big sister." The tears came down harder.

Mahoro came over and began to wipe the tears away. "That is OK. I understand how you feel about this. You do not have to come along. Nanami…."

"Yes?" She was alert and ready.

"If you please, I would like you to stay home with Minawa. I do not want her here alone and the two of you working together will help to occupy her mind. I…I have an obligation that I must attend to, so I will be going."

Mahoro," spoke up Suguru. "I mean, it's OK if you don't want to come along, either. I…"

Mahoro responded as she tended to Minawa. "Suguru, I remember last year when you asked me to come along. I feel it is important for both of us to be there, and not forget your family. There are a part of us, every day of our lives."

"I know, but…..I'm just worried about Minawa," offered Suguru.

Nanami chimed in. "We could ask Hamadi to come over. That might cheer up Minawa."

Mahoro looked right at Minawa. "Would you like that? Would you like Hamadi to come over?"

Minawa replied very quietly. "Yes, I think I would like that very much."

Mahoro turned to Nanami. "Please call Hamadi after breakfast and ask if he will stop by. For Suguru and me, we will leave after breakfast. We hope to return by early afternoon."

With breakfast done, Mahoro started to tend to the dishes, but was stopped by Nanami. "Minawa and I will take care of this. You need to head off. Besides, it will keep her thinking of other things."

"Very well," said Mahoro, and she got her bag by the door and left with Suguru.

The trip was rather involved, as one had to walk to the nearest bus stop, take it to the depot, to catch the subway, to get to another bus that dropped one off near the cemetery. All the way there, Mahoro was lost in thought. This was her fifth trip to the gravesite and, potentially, the last time she would make it. But she had to be brave for Suguru.

As they got to the cemetery, the light breeze did little to handle the building heat. It was going to be a roaster of a day. The cicadas were making a terrific noise as they walked the serene paths to the Misato Plot. The sun dappled thought the branches of the trees, but the shade offered no respite from the smothering temperature. Although the cemetery was generally tended to, there was still a scruffiness to the location. As they arrived at the actual plot, it was trim, but not neat. Mahoro put down her bag and pulled out a gardening tool and took care of the grass and weeds.

Mahoro sang a little song as she made things all pretty. "Weeds are very stubborn, as they do just what they please, with no concern for anything or where they choose to be. I have a lovely garden and I like the way it looks, so excuse me, Mr. Weedy Weed, as I must send you packing."

Suguru smiled. Mahoro made these rather somber times not as emotionally overwhelming. Last year, she was an absolute life saver for him. And when he eventually discovered that she was the Chinese Bluebell person, it made him feel better. He did not have to bear this burden alone. When they took the bus back home today, he would tell her that he deeply appreciated all that she had done. She deserved that, she really did.

Suguru polished up the stones, cleared out the residue from the chiseled lettering and placed the incense sticks in the burner, preparing them for the right moment. They both stood back from the marker to look at their work. The bluebells added some needed color, so it wasn't all shades of depression.

"Mother, father, I hope we honor you with our work here." Suguru took Mahoro's hand and held it tightly as he bowed. Mahoro bowed as well. He turned to her. "I am glad you came along." She gave a small smile to him.

With everything clean and tidy, Suguru lit the incense and then knelt in front of the marker to offer up a little prayer, as did Mahoro. Then, they both bent forward.

While Mahoro was down, she felt oddly. It was hard to describe the sensation, but it was as if parts of her were missing. She knew she had a side to her body, but there was no feeling from over there. When she tried to get up, she could not make her body respond or do anything. She felt weak and warm at the same time. Was this it? Was this the final energy surge? This is nothing to be afraid of, she thought, it really is a rather peacef………..

Suguru restored himself to an upright position and noticed Mahoro was still down. He looked on for a few moments. "Mahoro? Uh….Mahoro? I don't wish to intrude, but you can come up now." He touched her arm and it fell out limp. "Mahoro? Mahoro! MAHORO!"

Suguru grasped her by the shoulders and pulled up upwards, but her eyes were closed. He leaned her back all the way, so she was stretched out, her head in his lap. "Mahoro! Mahoro! Speak to me! I…" Suguru then saw a piece of paper in her apron pocket that said 'To Suguru' on it. He pulled it out and read the note.

'If anything should happen to me, take the phone from my pocket, dial *46 and ask for Professor Hokaze.' Reaching into the pocket, his fingers closed around the cell phone. He frantically flipped it open and dialed *46. He heard the phone ringing and ringing and ringing.

Surugu muttered anxiously. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, someone answer and…"

"Professor Hokaze."

"Professor! This is Suguru Misato!"

"Suguru? Are you all right? How is Mahoro?"

"She seems to have passed out. I…I can't revive her!" A tear came down Suguru's cheek.

"Where are you located?" barked Hokaze.

"I am at my family's plot in the Hiryu Cemetery." He held Mahoro's hand, rubbing his thumb across her fingers.

"One moment!" Surugu then heard the sound of klaxons and Hokaze yelling "Orange Alert! Orange Alert! Scramble to the Hiryu Cemetery." Hokaze then came back on line. "You stay right there, Suguru! Help is on the way, 10 minutes. Just a mere 10 minutes!"

"Professor! What's wrong with Mahoro?" But there was no reply as the call was cut off. He stared at the phone and closed it, then began to stroke Mahoro's face. She looks so serene, so what could be wrong? He had never known her to do something like this or to react in such a way, so the fear began to well up inside of him. What could have happened with her? He searched for answers, his breathing coming in shallow pants.

A person came towards them, saw the situation and ran to their aid. "Is she OK? What happened?" He looked her over for some where to start and help.

"She….." Suguru choked back the tears. "She knew my…father well. She was with him when he…when he…when he died. Coming here makes her….she gets very emotional and she…she sometimes passes out from all of it." Suguru was really crying.

"Shall I get help?" offered the passer-by.

Suguru held up the phone. "I have already called for help and they will be here in a few minutes. What…..what she needs is to just….recover on her own. But thank you…..thank you for stopping…..by."

The man put his hand on Suguru's shoulder. "I can stay here if you wish. Is there anything I can do?"

Suguru put his hand on his. "No. This….this happens a lot. But…..I still don't like it. It's…it's just so unsettling. Thank you."

"OK, as long as things are OK."

Suguru looked up at him, making a weak smile. "They are. They really are." The man walked off as Suguru held Mahoro, stroking her hair. The last time Mahoro's was held like this was after that horrendous beating she took at the hands of Dr. Metherius. She cried copious tears as she related the tale as to why she was so unhappy all the time. He comforted her and stroked her hair as he forgave her.

There really was nothing else he could have done. He understood fully as to why she hid this from him. She had sacrificed so much and asked for so little. The best thing to do and the right thing to do was to absolve her of all this guilt she carried around. When the man was out of sight, Suguru began to talk to Mahoro.

"I remember…remember that first day when you came by the house. You were so uncertain of things. I was so uncertain of things. What a pair we made! But we learned to get along. I sometimes had the feeling that while you were looking out for me, I was kind of looking out for you. You taught me so much, things that I really didn't know about. I….." Suguru sobbed.

Time crawled along as though it was in a lead suit. Seconds seemed like hours. He stared at his watch and saw things standing still. "What is taking those guys so long to….." His thought was cut short by the sound of a helicopter, getting closer and closer. The trees started to whip about as he looked up.

A black helicopter hovered about them. As a body lift basket was pushed out of the door, hanging by a winch, a man rappelled down and landed near them. Taking off his helmet, Suguru gasped. "Commander Daimon."

He signaled for the basket to be lowered as he looked at Mahoro. He yelled over the sound of the rotors. "How long as she been like this?"

"About 10 to 15 minutes. It took me a while to notice that there was something wrong with her." The basket hit the ground with a clatter. Daimon lifted Mahoro and placed her inside the basket, securing her well, and then signaled for her to be raised, which was done in rapid fashion. Once she was inside the bay of the aircraft, Daimon gave the command for the copter to go. In a few moments, it was gone.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Suguru.

Daimon put an arm about him. "She'll be fine. These things happen."

"But….but I wanted to go with her!" protested Suguru.

"And you will; we are in the other copter, just outside the cemetery. Let's go!" Daimon signaled for Suguru to follow. He started off, and then stopped, grabbed Mahoro's bag and the two of them bolted for the entrance.

"What…is…going….on?" panted Suguru, as the decorum of the location was discarded by their frantic running amid the headstones and other attendees.

"I'll…explain…more…on…board," Daimon gasped back. He was surprised that Suguru was able to keep up, as Daimon was a fairly swift runner himself. Still, it was difficult, as the heat made breathing hard and they were already putting up a lot of sweat. Suguru's glasses were fogging over and getting sweat streaks on them, as he had to keep pace.

As they turned the final corner, the helicopter was sitting in the street, the rotors in moderate spin. Standing by the copter was Hokaze, holding onto the door frame as he motioned them onward. Sub-Commander Gunji was inside, looking grim, as usual. As Suguru and Daimon exited the cemetery gates and neared the copter, another man strode into view, seemingly from nowhere, to stop them. Daimon pulled up short as Gunji drew his sidearm.

"Who are you?" barked Daimon, pointing at him.

"Someone who can help," came the terse reply.

"It's OK. That's Ryuga," said Suguru.

Daimon looked stunned as Hokaze backed away from him. "Saint's greatest android warrior? What are you doing here?"

"I heard about Mahoro and I am here to offer assistance," he reasserted himself.

"Don't move, Ryuga. I can shoot you where you stand," ordered Gunji.

Ryuga slowed turned about to peer in at Gunji, a sardonic grin on his face. "I've been attacked by Slash and came out in good shape. What makes you think that foam bat you call a weapon is going to do any harm to me?"

"How did you hear about it? It just happened?" asked Suguru.

"Vesper monitors Saint. We return the favor. It wasn't that hard to keep tabs on Mahoro, anyway. I am here to help her."

"You can't help her. She's gone." Daimon then realized what he just blurted out. He turned to see Suguru, absolutely devastated.

"She's…..she's….dead?!!? NO! That can't be! You said she was fine! What is going on here?" Suguru cried even harder. This was worse than when his father died. Another person close to him had left. "It can't be so!"

Ryuga was very cool. "Let me ride with you to Vesper Headquarter. Mahoro CAN be saved! I can do it. But we haven't much time to do it!"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

End Notes

As is usually the case, you find out about things of importance too late; I missed this particular event by a couple of days.

Down in my neck of the woods, there was an anime convention. Called FanimeCon 2008, it was held over the Memorial Day weekend. The usual stuff was going on: Cosplay, Artist Alley, a karaoke contest, a swap meet, arcade gaming (with plenty of DDR), some fashions shows and a variety of guest panels.

What really irritated me in missing this was the Guest of Honor, a few representatives from GAINAX. I don't know if you have heard of them. They released a few animes, like "Neon Genesis Evangelion", "FLCL", "Gunbuster" and some other shows. You might have heard of one of them, "Mahoromatic"? Yes? No? Maybe so?

Although the people on the panel (Hiroyuki Yamaga, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto and Masahiko Otsuka) had no direct connection with Mahoromatic (at least, that's what the program said or didn't say), it would have been nice to be able to ask my Mahoro-related questions and get something that would have been an interesting answer:

"Are you thinking of bringing the series back? Would you want to?"

"Would you consider looking at the rest of Mahoro's days? I mean, you really only acknowledge about 70 of her 400 days. That is a lot of opportunity there for more storytelling."

"Will you accept ideas from the fans, of which there is a groundswell of support, for new stories?"

"Is there anything we fans can do to convince you to revisit Mahoro? Perhaps further tales where we can kind of avoid the actual last episode and show a future life for the two of them."

Sigh. Another lost opportunity. Maybe I'll just go watch the midnight show of "Hentai Nights". Yeah, I know, "Dirty Thought Are Bad."

As to the story itself, I know someone is going to comment about "Orange Alert". It's just a good sounding phrase; it always has been.

The "location" of Hiryu has always been open to speculation, but I felt it is on that strip of land south of Yokohama. There is a city in that area. It sits astride a river and it has a nice long beach, plus there is a Hiryu Falls in the area as well, so I am just making assumptions at to it. I also feel that Vesper would have a helicopter that could fly that fast, from HQ to the cemetery (not unlike making the Kessel run in 12 parsecs).

I mean, if you look at the opening for the Summer TV Special, you see a city astride a river and bridges connecting one side with the other, thus my assumption for this real town.

Now, the cemetery has also been a concern. I am making another assumption that we are still in town or reasonably close to it for the actual location. I cannot use my knowledge of this, as we handle things differently around here.

I mean, San Francisco (with the exception of Mission Dolores) has no cemeteries, as they were all moved to Colma, which is an immense marble orchard; truly a City of the Dead. Other towns have these pocket gravesites (I lived in an apartment that abutted one) and you may end up being buried completely elsewhere from where the living are.

Again, since the source material is thin on this, it is a best guess. There are two potential cities, but I chose against Odawara. I realized it was farther south of Yokohama (which would not have allowed Shikijo to keep pace with them as easy as she did on her Vespa), but the one I feel more comfortable with, Chigasaki, is a big surfer haven and in the Crab Robot episode, I really didn't see surfers abounding.

But that city would have allowed Vesper to get to them faster than if they were another 10 km or so down the road (And I am assuming that Vesper is striking from Tokyo). Still, it is merely a logical approach to things. If I had a touch more information, I could feel more confident.


	26. Chapter 26, Time and Tide

"Time and Tide"

A 'What If…' Series of Stories

By Furor Scribendi

2008 Scribendi Productions

July 20th

The helicopter stood paralyzed in the middle of the road, as the passengers remained outside, arguing back and forth about Ryuga.

Gunji was adamant. "I don't trust him. He's Saint!"

Suguru stepped forward. "But I do trust him! Let him ON! He can help!"

Gunji remained as icy as Ryuga. "I appreciate your feelings in this matter, Suguru, but I know of him. I saw what he did on the battlefield. Anyone that dangerous has a secret agenda!" Gunji still kept his firearm trained onto the back of Ryuga's head

"But I have seen him OFF the battlefield. If he wanted to destroy us, he could have done it easily by now!" Suguru couldn't tell if he was yelling because he was angry or just to be heard. Both of them turned to Daimon.

Daimon made a hurried shrug and motioned everyone on board. "We can always throw him out of the copter later!" The copter took off.

Everyone put on helmets so they could be heard, Ryuga speaking first. "Despite outward appearances, Mahoro is not fully deactivated…"

"What? What? What is he talking about?" Suguru was hurt and confused.

Hokaze spoke. "Mahoro had a very deep secret…."

"I know all about that. She had to…kill my father. I forgave her for that burden back in March. No one should carry around that level of regret." Suguru fought back the tears.

Hokaze shook his head 'no'. "There was another secret. Her End Time." Suguru looked perplexed. "She had a life span put into her and, on a certain date, she would cease to function. Under optimum conditions, this was to be that last day, Day 398. She made us all take an oath to NEVER tell you, as she didn't want to create more unhappiness in your life."

Ryuga stepped in. "I offered the services of Saint to Vesper to help with this."

Hokaze turned about slowly. "What did you say?" staring intently at Ryuga.

"On March 22nd, I spoke to all three of you about this." Ryuga pointed to them all.

"I…I don't remember that," stammered Hokaze.

"I think the problem was that I didn't ask the right questions and you had already given up hope for Mahoro. I don't think any of us were listening very clearly to one another that day. Not all that surprising, if you think about what had happened."

Gunji spoke up. "We also couldn't trust Saint. I STILL don't trust Saint. What if this is some kind of plan to destroy us? We only have his word of this 'help' and that makes me suspicious."

"I trust Ryuga." Everyone turned to Suguru. "He came to our aid when Dr. Metherius, using me as bait and attacked Mahoro. If Ryuga was not that concerned, why did he come by, why did he perform magnificently, why did he stay around?" Suguru turned to Ryuga. "What can be done?"

"Mahoro is in final power down. She has about an hour before she fully ceases functioning. This is a protection mode. Very minimal power is drawn to maintain the system for that additional power boost. After this Golden Hour has passed, degradation begins and we cannot be sure how well she can be restored from that point. Can this helicopter go any faster?"

Daimon turned to the pilot. "Turbo Mode."

"That is going to really gobble up the fuel and…"

"Turbo mode." The pilot nodded and hit a few buttons. The rotors whined louder as the copter picked up speed.

Gunji looked to Ryuga. "You are not doing this solely out of the goodness of your heart. You want something from us."

Ryuga nodded. "Yes, that is true. I want something from you.

Gunji snorted. "I knew it. I KNEW it. This is all a ploy. And what do we have to do?"

"Ask."

Gunji got irritated. "I already asked you! What do we have to do?"

"Just ask. I need you to ask us to do this. Specifically, I need Don Vesper to ask Matthew."

Gunji was beside himself. "I TOLD you it was a trap, meant to destroy us. Let me throw him out now!"

"I think we have done a fine enough job on our OWN destroying ourselves," snapped Hokaze.

"You're not military, so I don't expect you to know ANYTHING about this!" snarled Gunji. "My duty is clear: keep Vesper safe! This smacks to me of an insidious plan to hurt us even more, by dangling in front of us something that means a great deal to us. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the ONE!"

Daimon was more circumspect. "How quickly could Matthew get down here?"

"As a liaison for Saint and Matthew, almost immediately. But the clock is running. You have about 30 minutes from this point to get it all together, as the scientists will need time to do the procedure. Getting the board to meet is a start, although I know that I have three of its members right here. What is it going to be?"

Daimon pointed his finger at Gunji, who sighed and nodded. Immediately, communications went out to Vesper HQ. Gunji was calling the rest of the board members personally to get them into the Conference Room; Hokaze was sending instructions to his staff as to what to do when Mahoro arrived, which she was just doing; Daimon spoke to Ms. Shiina. Suguru could hear parts of his communication.

"Eimi, this is Daimon. Yes, it is THAT important. Get me to Don. No, you cannot speak to him for me. I have to speak to him. I have an urgent request and time is of the essence. Then…wake him UP…NOW!"

Daimon made faces as he waited. "Don. This is Commander Daimon. You have to listen to this!" He reached over to Ryuga's helmet and turned it to the right channel."

Ryuga spoke. "I am Ryuga, Warrior of Saint and Liaison to Matthew. I have a proposal."

Minutes later, the helicopter alighted on the roof of Vesper Headquarters. The passengers practically leapt from the side doors before it fully landed, and sprinted to the waiting elevator, which took them all to the 10th Floor, where the Council met. The only sound that could be heard was the ding of each passing floor. Suguru was still on edge, but he was putting up a brave front. He felt Daimon's strong hand on his shoulder.

The door opened and it was a flat-out run to the Conference Room. Employees hurled themselves against the walls as all five of them charged down the hallways. The doors to the room were opened wide to accept them all. Daimon, Gunji and Hokaze took their seats on the council dais as Suguru stood near the back of the room with Ryuga. Guards with nasty looking rifles were at attention, ready for almost anything. The doors closed with a smart report.

"Will you please approach me, Ryuga of Saint?" intoned Don. Ryuga came to a spot about 20 feet away from The Radio, where two more guards stood.

"Don Vesper, I am Tou Ryuga. As a liaison to Matthew of Saint, I offer a proposal that will benefit the both of us."

"I am willing to receive Matthew of Saint for this proposal." Ryuga spoke into a comlink on his wrist. He made big, slow moves so everyone could see what he was doing. He knew how edgy and tense everyone was and there would not be any opportunity given for someone to make a snap judgment.

Speaking in a loud voice for all to hear, he called out. "Matthew, they are ready for you." Moments later, a bright light glowed just behind Ryuga. The guards snapped at the ready, but Commander Daimon stood up and waved them back.

The lights stopped to have Matthew of Saint appear. Everyone gasped, as they were not expecting such a beautiful woman to be standing there. Dressed in very flimsy clothes, almost unconcerned for her physical presence, she came up to where Ryuga stood. "Don Vesper of Vesper, I am Matthew of Saint."

"Matthew of Saint, welcome. I have a request of you."

"And what is your request?" Her dulcet tones filled the room. Suguru was getting anxious. What was with all of these protocols? Why couldn't they just get right to the point?

"Would you please restore Mahoro Ando for us?"

"Saint would be honored to do so. Where is Mahoro Ando now?"

Hokaze stood up. "She is in my research room."

Matthew spoke to Hokaze. "Please take Ryuga to your room and we can transport the technicians to that location." Hokaze came down and they both left. Matthew continued to speak.

"Before us lies a great opportunity, to lay aside our mistrust, our animosity and our fears and to work together towards a common goal, one of peace and harmony between our two peoples. Your world already has been made aware of the existence of us, and that of the Keepers. Let us take that awareness and build on it, laying the foundations of a new era."

Don spoke. "For far too long, we have allowed the forces of uncertainty to cloud our better judgment. Mistakes have been made on both sides, but it is not too late to learn from those mistakes and forge a better future. Steps can be taken to ensure that we can learn and grow with our combined knowledge. The way will not be easy, but it is the way for us to go. For both of us to go in."

Meanwhile, down in his lab, Hokaze was amazed at what he saw. He looked at the clock on Mahoro; time was getting more and more slender as the technicians set up their machines. They had materialized just as Matthew did and went right to work.

The taller of the two spoke to Hokaze. "I am Professor Tiricka. I'd love to talk, but time is of the essence, so if you will excuse me, Professor Hokaze." The doctor began to examine Mahoro, who lay inert on the table. He looked about the facility. "Say, is that an imaging scanner?" pointing to a large piece of equipment. Hokaze nodded. "Could you bring it over to me?" Hokaze complied and the machine was placed over Mahoro and turned on.

The shorter of the two was running about, checking all the connections, wheeling over the Saint equipment and setting up all the tools necessary for the operation. The taller doctor spoke.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but your equipment is rather primitive. I can still work with it, but it may take longer to get things done." The monitor showed Mahoro's power unit. The doctor took out a wand that looked like it had a tiny iron on the end of it.

"What will you do first?" asked Hokaze.

"I need to stop the clock and fold it back onto itself." The doctor passed the wand over her.

"A kind of temporal causality loop, so time, in essence, stands still," Hokaze commented as the doctor looked up.

"That's correct. A clock with no time that can be taken off of it. Ahh, that is done. Now, I will permit energy to be transferred into her."

"How are you doing this? I mean, I was completely buffaloed on this area."

We use an ion signature to make adjustments."

Hokaze was stunned. "Ion technology? Of course. The power is of a purer nature and can be generated from nearly any energy source. And this specialized signature allows one to 'open the gas tank', as it were."

The doctor again looked to Hokaze. "You seemed to have figured out a lot of this."

"Just enough to know that my ways wouldn't work. It was much like trying to build a space ship with stones and animals skins. The simple and elegant answer I knew existed but couldn't get to."

The doctor then put a box on her chest and turned it on. "This will allow the unit to self-generate its own power, but I have to reconfigure it."

"A breeder reactor, so whatever excess or spare energy there is gets reconverted back to create more energy." Hokaze made twirling motions with his fingers.

"You have a rather keen mind in all of this. I…I just didn't think anyone would be able to understand so well."

"I spend 400 days trying to crack the energy problem. I found lots of ways not to do it, but the technology hung me up. Is it true that you offered to do this four months ago?"

"I am uncertain about that, but I do know that Tou asked me about three months ago, just around the time of the Yucatan Explosion."

Hokaze blanched. "If only I had known…………"

The doctor fiddled some more with dials and knobs. "OK, I am down to the last two steps. The first is a kind of preliminary energy test. Aside from giving her a small energy boost, to keep her from shutting down, it will also allow me to see that all parts of her are still functioning." Looking at the energy flow through her, he nodded. "Yes, yes. This is all fine. Now, for the scary part."

Hokaze's jaw dropped. "The scary part?"

The doctor turned on the power slowly and explained. "These are very rare circumstances we are in, as we in Saint never allow any power unit to get this low. In fact, we make sure they have all the power they need all the time. In this instance, there may be a shock to the system. Think of it as having been starved for a long time, then you are given food…"

"…the tendency is to stuff as much as you can into your gaping pie hole, oblivious to the fact that your body has been acting in a different way. Too much, too soon. I assume that with the unit so starved for energy, it wants to draw it in too rapidly and potentially damage itself."

The doctor looked to Hokaze. "We have got to sit down and really talk. I am quite impressed with your mind and how it thinks. The scary part is that the unit may override its own protocols and if that happens, it could be beyond anyone's ability to prevent it from happening or correct the situation."

"How many of these procedures have you done?" inquired Hokaze.

"I personally have done two, but have witnessed five more and…" A beeping noise was heard. Both looked to the monitor to see an energy flow problem.

"What's wrong?" Hokaze panicked, as the Golden Hour was almost up.

"The energy is not flowing in! It may be worse than I imagined. Tanani! Get over here." The shorter technician came over, in an almost casual manner. He picked up the wand and went to Mahoro. The end of it was placed over her chest and he clicked it on. It appeared as if he was ironing a shirt.

As the two others looked on, the warning light went off and the monitors showed that energy was flowing into her. "What did you do?" asked the doctor.

"You are too easily distracted. After the preliminary test, you then need to reconfirm the procedure to reactivate. You have to send the 'go' command. I just did that." Tanani smiled broadly. "I've done nine of these myself. So, it should take another 10 minutes to recharge, plus a self-diagnostic, that is an extra five minutes."

Hokaze got the Council Room on the phone. "Get everyone down here. We are almost finished."

Mahoro lay perfectly still; then her eyes slowly opened, as though she was just waking up. "….ul. There is nothing…" she began to comment. She looked about and was surprised to see everyone staring down at her. They all burst into a round of applause as Suguru smothered her with hugs.

"I thought I had lost you!" Mahoro felt his hot tears on her cheek.

Professor Hokaze came up to her. "Mahoro, what do you remember?"

"I was at the cemetery with Suguru. We had just finished cleaning up the marker and…what am I doing here?" She discovered she was in Hokaze's laboratory. "Why am I here?" Everyone looked at each other, uncertain what to say. Suguru came forward.

"You…..you died today. In the cemetery." Suguru felt himself tearing up again. He let go of her to wipe his eyes.

Mahoro looked apprehensive. "Not to sound ungrateful, but if I ceased to function, then how am I talking to you?"

The crowds parted to allow Mahoro to see Matthew. Mahoro gasped. "I know you. I have seen you in my dreams. We have spoken about things."

Matthew responded. "Those were not dreams. We actually spoke. I am Matthew of Saint. You have been given a marvelous gift, a gift that will forge an allegiance between Saint and Earth, creating a foundation so…."

"…so that we will be able to learn from each and coexist, walking together towards the future, hand in hand, to a better world," said Mahoro, completing the thought. Matthew smiled and then turned to Commander Daimon.

"Our work here today is done, but the bigger task lies before us. I hope that the trust between us can grow stronger." She turned back and headed towards Ryuga and the two doctors. They all stood in a small group. "Farewell, but we shall be seeing more of each other." In an instant, they were transported away, gone in a blinding flash of light.

Everyone was duly impressed. Hokaze came to the table, shooing the people out. "If you will excuse me, I need to make some diagnostic examinations of Mahoro and…"

Gunji came up to him. If it is all the same with you, we'd rather stay and watch." There was a murmur of consent from everyone. Shrugging his shoulders, Hokaze began the exam. He pulled up the original computer file, the one he had created in June of last year, prior to reducing her energy.

Rolling back the scanning units, he turned it on and started to work. He felt a bit sweaty as everyone was down there, watching his every move. He kept going back to one monitor, comparing it with his information. He tapped up a few profiles. Something wasn't right, or at least did not make any sense. Then he smiled. It now made perfect sense. He turned everything off.

"I give Mahoro a clean bill of health!" Everyone cheered as Hokaze helped her from the operating table. Mahoro bowed to everyone.

"I thank you all for your efforts. Now, if I may, it is time for Suguru and me to return home." She took Suguru by the hand.

"I'll drive you," offered Gunji.

"I'll bring the helicopter and get you home," trumped Daimon.

"As the contact between Don Vesper, I should take care of this," countered Shiina. As the arguments abounded as to who should take Mahoro home, Hokaze made a call.

"Hello, transportation?"

At the Suguru household, Hamadi and Minawa sat on the couch, talking. Nanami looked at the clock. "It sure is getting late. I hope nothing went wrong." Suddenly, a very loud horn could be heard honking from the street. They all bolted up and flung open the door to see a huge bus outside. Stepping off was Suguru and Mahoro. Then the contents of the bus came out, which was the bulk of Vesper, waving good bye to her. The three looked on in gape-mouthed wonder from the porch.

"I know she makes friends wherever she goes, but this……!" Hamadi was stunned as they came up the walkway.

Mahoro turned and waved. "Thank you for the ride."

In near unison, everyone on the bus called back. "Thank you, Mahoro!" They all got back on the bus and it pulled out, Mahoro continuing to wave at them. When the bus was out of sight, Mahoro and Suguru went inside.

At the table, Hamadi spoke. "What was that all about? No, I changed my mind. I DON'T want to know."

Minawa came up to Mahoro. "Is everything fine, big sister?'

Mahoro made a big smile. "Everything is just fine. It feels good to come home. What do you want for dinner?"

On the bus, the mood was one of elation. Commander Daimon made his way to the back of the bus to Hokaze, who was looking out of the window in silence. He sat next to him and they both watched the scenery soaring past them. Daimon spoke.

"So, what about Mahoro? Will she have to go through this again? Will we have to?"

Still looking out the window, Hokaze smiled. "I'll need to see her one more time, in about a month, to do some final checks on her AND to allow the augmentation request, but there is no need to worry about her. Everything is just fine."

**MAHORO'S SYSTEMS WILL NEVER CEASE FUNCTIONING**

End Notes

Every so often, you want to leave the strict narrative and explore other areas of the mythology and story line. I still believe in the First Rule of Fan Fiction, but this is a tale that has been brewing on my mind since I first saw the anime.

Like many people here, I was extremely dissatisfied with the endings in both the manga and the anime and anything that was done in regards to that came off more as a sop to the fans. I realize that the ending was more in line as to what could happen in real life, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or even agree with it. I also cannot fully argue with the author's vision, no matter how unhappy it makes me.

This story was my approach to "make it right" and put them on a path together. Personally, I feel it fits in perfectly with not only my story line, but could have easily fit in with the regular storyline. She really didn't have to be destroyed and there was Matthew, always teasing that Mahoro could have been saved.

The other good feature of all this is that if we want to connect it up with their Further Adventures, this clicks in perfectly, and a lot better than whatever happened in Season Two, Episodes 13 and 14.

This was another example of me trying to squeeze things in on one story and failing miserably. I mean, if this was a full-blown book, that would be really different (and certainly nothings stops be from doing something along those lines), but I prefer to keep it segmented better here and to throw in a teaser or cliffhanger to keep you coming back for more. (You ARE coming back for more, right?)

Also, I think it doesn't overwhelm me as well, so I can keep writing, so I have three or four separate small tales than one ginormous offering, scaring off both you and me. (Hey, that word was recently approved by Webster's Dictionary, so it is fine to use).

So, at this point, I now lay down my pen.

For the upcoming year, I am currently working on another Ariel story, as well as preliminary work for Mahoro on what I am referring to as "More In-Between Days", which would be the next series of 26 stories, filling in the gaps that I created when I told this first set of 26, as well as the open days from the original narrative.

Part of the problem with these new stories is the time placement. There is space available on the calendar for them, but I have to be cautious in how I insert them. I have a Super Grand Magnificent Opus that may not be written, as I cannot place it in a proper location, as it is a huge story arc, consuming at least five episodes as it stands now.

I also have given short shrift to Minawa and that needs to be addressed as well. I mean, she was with them for about four months and I need to spin away from the manga-presented stories. It also gives pause to see if I wish to address the time spent at the Shirakiku Academy (in the manga, not in the anime) and if I really want to tell a tale or two of Mahoro at the Vesper Maid School, which would be at the "beginning" of all this.

Lots of ideas are swirling about, but I need a smart way to tether it all together. No jumping the shark here, OK? The way things are going, it might not be until June or so that I would begin to post them for my second go-around, or a Fifth and Sixth Season, so your patience in these matters is always appreciated.


End file.
